Sissy Room

Hey everyone! Okay. Couldn’t push this one out time yesterday, so, unless something big happens, another chapter should be up tomorrow. After that, there will only be one more for this section. As far as after, I have another trip not long after this current one ends… so the break might be until the end of May. I’m not sure yet but I’m leaning toward this with the time I have available and piecing together my thoughts a little better for the final section. Whatever I decide, I will let you all know when I post chapter 26.   Looking ahead… there is another poll out for what I next write. The three options can be found back in chapter 14, and the link can be found back in both chapter 14 and 20. 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 24: You Have More Than One Legacy Addy busied herself reading through several articles on how to plan the best ‘Spring Break Ever!’ or at least something along those lines. Her first official one of college, she wanted to make it special. Unfortunately, without a ton of money in her account and not wanting to ask her parents for any, her options were limited… at least until she remembered she had a fellow family member who was still young. “Warren-Spring Break is this week,” she texted quickly, flopping down on her bed. “You think you could help me with the family boat and launch it and all? I’ve got a few friends who would just love to test it out next week. I’d owe you one.” She didn’t like offering that… but she also knew that he needed some incentive now that he was out of college and had become a corporate stooge at Juventas. Sighing though with her options limited, Addy hit ‘send.’ She waited a minute. Then five. Then ten and then twenty. Addy furrowed her brow at her phone. ‘Weird… he almost always texts me back instantly. Maybe he’s just joining mom with not communicating back with me lately. Thought she was going to call last night… I hope she’s at least taking her pills…’ After thirty minutes, Clarie returned. “Hey ther…” She stopped and stepped into the room before tossing her backpack on her bed. “Addy… is something wrong?” Addy sighed and showed her phone. “Texted Warren about thirty minutes ago about our boat for Spring Break… still nothing back yet.” “Oh, bummer.” Claire was experiencing similar problems to Addy and not living far from her, was also looking forward to the whole boat solution they had come up with last night. She wasn’t there when Addy remembered Warren as a possible solution to their problem, but she was pretty smart and likely had figured it out. “Yeah…” She sighed and returned to her desk before cracking open her textbook. “Hey… you study for Halgen’s class yet?” Claire shook her head. “No. You?” Addy shook her head as well before lifting up her textbook. “Wanna join?” Claire smiled and pulled her chair over. “Okay… quiz me. You do a few and I do a few and we rotate back and forth.” Addy nodded. “Deal.” She cracked open her textbook and focused on a few spots that Dr. Halgen had seemed to emphasize in class. “Now then… true or false… if a Little refuses diapers yet has an accident in public, you as a Big are obligated to diaper them yourself.” “Ooh…” Claire had to think for a moment. “That’s tough, but… it depends on the state. Generally, it’s better to diaper them but only if you ask if they have a caregiver or ask and then verify with local authorities first.” “Correct.” Addy didn’t like the rule, and she knew a few states were already passing laws where that would actually be illegal for a civilian to do anymore… but it was still mostly standard practice in the south. “Okay… which of the following is or are not appropriate for a regressed Little to watch: Adventure Sam, Naomia and Oliver, Pocket Pals, or Order and Law, Special Victims Unit?” The questions went on lack that between the two of them for the next hour. Some were a little funnier or looser than others, with some focusing on the law itself, but it was a ‘Gen Ed’ class. Just the basics… everyone took them and needed to in order to graduate. Claire did okay… Addy seemed to be the star student. But right before it hit 5PM, Addy’s phone rang. Squinting over, she saw it was her brother. “Oh! Look!” She showed her phone to Clarie. “Maybe he’s finally calling back about the boat. Maybe he’s got a trick up his sleeve or something.” Clarie eagerly nodded back as Addy picked up the phone. “Hello?” “Addy? You there?” he asked, his voice long and drawn out. “Yeah, Warren. I’m here,” she replied with a labored sigh. Ever since he started working for Juventas, he always asked those sorts of questions over the phone now. “Did you get my text about the boat. Clarie and I are still trying to figure out our plans and…” “Addy. Stop.” His words were direct, but there was an emotionality behind them that was unlike Warren. “Sorry,” he continued a little more stable and like himself. “I just…” A large sigh came from the other end. “An hour ago… mom died.” Addy nearly dropped the phone. Her breath froze and her words left her. All the planning for Spring Break now seemed so stupid. Now, she could barely comprehend what he even was saying to her. Two simple words but two words that shattered her world in a second. “Addy?” he questioned over the phone. “You there? Addy?” “Yeah…” Her words felt hollow and distant. The sounds were being made but the emotion behind them… the soul and the drive that normally marked her speech were long gone. And without another word, she set down the phone and walked away. Behind her, she could hear the scrambling of Claire to get to the phone. “Mark? Mark? Claire here. Addy just… what?” It wasn’t her mom, but Claire was getting the news herself and she was gutted. Dr. Pepperidge had an influence on so many, especially for anyone who gave a darn about Littles on both sides of the spectrum of the last several decades. “No, no, no!” But Claires’ emotions were barely registering Clarie’s own reaction in her mind. Addy wasn’t even sure where she was going as she left the room… she just needed to get out and go away. She needed to be alone and to grieve her mom’s death. She could barely think of the concept and yet she knew it was never going away. Her confidant and her friend and the person who was always there to dry her tears or to make her smile… she was gone and Addy would never see her again. It was a loss her brain couldn’t fathom. Walking outside, the whole world seemed dimmer and louder and blurrier. People passed her on the quad and under the palm trees and through the wide fields, just beginning to be bathed in the afternoon shadows cast off the buildings and the greenery around her. Finally, she stopped at a statue of a woman doctor. Addy looked at the gentle curve of the brown and slowly greening face of the woman… and she swore it looked like her mom. She even had a swirl to the front of her hair, and she stood nearly the same as her as well. She knew it wasn’t her… but the statue standing there proud felt like a last sign from her mom. Addy glanced around and with no one looking at her and only about two people within 40 yards of her, she looked back at the statue. “Hey, mom… I… I know you’re not her, but maybe you can hear me somehow?” Addy felt like a fool talking to the statue, but she felt so lost and the one person she normally turned to was now gone. She sighed as the wave of lost threatened to pull her under or at least knock her off her feet. “I wish you were really here, mom. I… I’ve been thinking about what you said, and I… I just don’t know where to go next. Chemistry is great and dad says I’m great, but your advice… you said I’d make a great nurse.” Addy could already feel a dampness in the corner of her eyes. Frustrated, she wiped them away quickly. “I just… I wanted to talk to you over Spring Break and now?” She looked into the blank eyes of green and bronze. “What should I do now?” But there was no answer… just the breathy wind whistling around her as she stood all alone. *              *              * Addy felt a similar state of confusion lately and the assault hadn’t helped things either. She felt a pull to stay as a nurse. Even if Oliver chose her, she knew there were other Littles that needed her help. She knew how they ticked and knew the right buttons to hit in order for every Little here to find themselves without cracking up. It was a valuable skill in this world and Addy knew not every nurse had it. People like Penny and Erin were great and they could absolutely save anyone’s lives with their skills… but their Littles weren’t always the best off. ‘If I leave, do I condemn more Littles to be paired with the likes of them? If I leave… what becomes of Psyche? Will the anti-Little Bigs finally change things for the worse forever?’ Those were the kinds of questions that Addy had continually questioned since she last hung up the phone with her dad. She was now driving over to his house and ready to hear what he had to say. There was just something about his words yesterday afternoon that had stuck with her. Nothing like ‘I’ve got a deadly secret’ or anything, but enough that Addy felt compelled to drive faster than she already was on the highways to his place. Stepping out, she looked around to the backyard for her dad, and it was a little unusual, but he wasn’t there. Addy pursed her lips and looked up at the sky to check the weather. He was outdoorsy but he never really liked gardening in the rain. ‘Hmmm… no, not that. No clouds or rain in sight. So… where is he?’ Looking around a little more, she checked that his car was still there. “Dad? You here? You home?” She then heard the front door open, and stepping around to the front, she saw him just hanging up the phone. “There you are. I thought you were gone or something.” He smirked and shook his head. “No. Still here. Just needed to… tie up some loose ends and prepare for some items… board items and all, you know?” Addy did and nodded. Growing up here, she remembered her mom or dad having a phone call and then seeing the happiness just completely drained from their faces. Curious, she always asked and they always noted with a sigh that it was ‘board stuff. Mean old boring board stuff.’ They always tried to joke about it, but after she turned eight, she wasn’t fooled any longer. “So… I guess you’ve made your decision then?” he finally asked, both now stepping back inside and him brewing yet another batch of tea. “Well, yeah?” Addy questioned a little. “I told you that last night, remember?” He nodded. “I do. Might be getting a little gray around the side of my head and need glasses for small print these days… but I do remember things like that. I just…” He turned around and leaned back on the counter before crossing his arms. “I just wanted to make sure. You always seemed to love your job there.” Addy sighed. “Yeah. I do. It’s just… it’s not the same anymore.” Her dad nodded and soon handed her the same tea mug she had drunk out of when she came back from her mom’s funeral. It worked wonders that day and smelling in the hot aromatic steam vapors coming from the tea, it worked today as well. Gesturing over, Addy and her dad sat once again in their respective chairs. By now, it was becoming familiar once again to her. Sitting here over Christmas, they had felt like practical strangers. At the end of March, that awkwardness and feeling of alienation were practically non-existent. They had aired out their dirty laundry together and both had forgiven each other to the relief of the other. Today though, something strange and thick hung in the air between them… or at least around her dad. He sat pensive in his chair and his mind seemed far away and working on two million things at once. It could have been a new drug he was curious about testing… but this curiosity and calculating nature seemed more directed at Addy than some far off lab. Finally, he set his tea down and clasped his hands together. “So… any idea of what comes next for you, pumpkin? Any job offers or thoughts?” Being at Psyche for so long now, the conversation almost felt peculiar to Addy to be having once again and in the same house no less. Back then, he asked her while she was sitting up in her bed. It had been a six second answer and there was no doubt in her mind. Now… she waffled around her response. “Well… I had some ideas, but…” She sighed. “I really don’t know to tell you the truth. I mean, with what I have saved up, I could go without a job for a few years now. I don’t want to do that but…” “But your future seems a little hazy… especially with Oliver as a possibility, huh?” Addy didn’t say anything to her dad’s question, but her silence and warm look when he mentioned Oliver’s name was enough. “I’ll take that as a yes, but… you remember you have your trust still, right?” Addy did, but she really didn’t want to touch it. It was an emergency fund and not something she really wanted to mess with these days. Maybe retirement or something else… just not this. So quickly, she shook her head. “No, not that. I know it’s there, but… I’d rather do my own thing if it’s all the same, Dad.” He held up his hands. “Hey. No worries from me. Just giving you options. You never know…” He put his hands down but instead of relaxing back in his chair, he leaned forward. “So, tell me… I’m curious and I think you already told me and I already know but indulge me and tell me again why you wanted to leave Psyche.” Addy didn’t like treading old ground but nodded. “It’s fine. I just… that place feels broken lately. The Littles feel like their lab rats to be regressed harder and faster than ever, and the staff is half fine and the other half… I don’t know if they have the best interests of their Littles in mind. And then Dr. Tracey… I know she’s gone and in her own world wherever that is…” Her dad briefly winced at her name and Addy knew never to push something like that. “Yeah… she’s gone but another person is coming and she could be just as bad from everything I’ve read about her!” Addy was still steamed… especially about the section where this new head still approved of corrective surgery for Littles. It was a mile beyond where Juventas and Psyche should be. “So, even more reason to leave then. I don’t want to be a part of something that’s broken and seemingly incapable of being fixed.” Her dad seemed a little saddened at that part, but Addy just continued on. “But… if I could fix it. If there was a way… I would in a heartbeat.” This time, her dad lit up like a practical Christmas tree. If he was a robot, someone had clearly just flipped a switch on in his brain. Suddenly, the dark cloud hovering over him was gone. Instead, he seemed almost… excited. “Really? Do you really mean that, Ads?” “Well… yeah.” Addy saw her dad and felt confused. Relieved for sure but confused. ‘What’s he playing at here? First an invite then moody and board business and now he’s so suddenly happy? What’s going on with you, huh?’ She tried not to push it though. “So, maybe a non-profit or something?” Her dad pushed forward, his fingers tapping and then clasped as if he had another idea of that ‘something.’ “That is very noble of you, Addy. And while we’ve had this conversation before…” For a moment, he looked like he wanted to jump out the nearest window. “But… I was wondering if you would maybe consider a more hands-on role at Juventas instead?” “A… a…” Addy could barely make out her words. Yes, he had offered it before, but now… with changes needing to be made and her resigning from nursing… it didn’t seem so crazy anymore. “With Juventas… and more, maybe even… the board?” her dad further confirmed like a fisherman with a piece of bait to lure her in. “It’s a precarious position I grant you but if you really want to change things with Psyche… it would be the best place to be.” For Addy, it was a lot to take in. All his brooding and secrecy… he clearly had something on his mind about her. It could have just been offering the board seat. After all, the last time they had fully talked about it for more than a few minutes or to apologize about it, he had practically insulted and yelled at her and their riff had formed. It was possible… but Addy just couldn’t shake the odd feeling that there was something more. “Dad…” She wasn’t even entirely sure how to ask… but she also knew that he hated people bantering about the point they were trying to make. “Is there… is there something going on here? I feel…” She bit her lower lip. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” Instead of being offended or rejecting her questions, he simply smiled and stood up. “Come with me…” He then held out his hand, and even though Addy looked at it for a moment, she eventually took it and followed him to his study. “I assume you remember this room?” he questioned, turning back to her as he stood by his large mahogany desk, a whole array of books surrounding him on all sides. Addy only needed to smell the leather-bound books or know they had gone into the second door from the left of the living room. When she and Warren were younger, this place was forbidden to enter if the door was ever closed unless they knocked and then waited patiently outside and on the other side. Most of the time, neither had the patience and so soon ran off… even when Warren was in his teens. “It’s your study. You never wanted Warren and I to come in here when the door was closed.” Her dad nodded and took a deep breath. “That’s right.” He went to reach down into his desk but then stopped dead and looked back at his daughter. “Before I show you something… I need you to promise me something. Pinky swears it like you and your mom did when you were younger if you want… but I need you to promise me to keep a secret… no matter what else you see.” It felt like her dad was about to show her some strange pictures or his diary for all she was concerned. Still… his request of an unbreakable promise of a secret intrigued her. After mending their bond as father and daughter recently, she trusted him. He had a bunch of secrets still floating round him… and she wanted answers. ‘This could be my only chance…’ So, with a breath, Addy nodded. “I agree. A secret forever…” Secrets and promises were big deals in the Pepperidge family. Her dad quickly looked relieved and bent down and pulled out a single object: a key. As Addy stepped forward, she got a better glimpse of it. Less than the width of his palm, but intricate and brass with multiple grooves on one end and curly vines on the other. If Addy didn’t know any better, she would have sworn it was to a secret garden out beyond the woods. She didn’t know though… but she had to ask. “Uh… what is it?” “Oh… you’ll see,” her dad simply noted with a playful smirk over his face. Just as her dad was walking back over to her, she stopped him as quickly as she could. “Wait… what if I told you no?” Addy quickly questioned, her mind still in a jumble of sorts from even something as simple as a key. Her dad smirked and after a few steps back, reached back down into his desk and pulled out a bottle of pills. “It’s just a prototype. We can talk about this later but… it could affect some of the Littles at Psyche. Still information. Just not…” His eyes glanced at the key still in his other hand. “Well… you’ll understand soon enough.” Addy was practically on pins and needles at this point. A key could be anything. Safety deposit box… treasure chest… a hidden door. She couldn’t narrow it down even a little bit at this point. Finally stopping at a far bookcase, her dad tipped a single book back. Another book sprung open and inside were several buttons, a small screen, what looked like a camera, and a single keyhole. Turning back to his daughter, her dad held up the key. “This… along with a code, facial scan, keycode, and even sometimes a voice print identification… will be required here. For now… let’s call you a guest. At least for now…” His implication was hard to pinpoint, but two minutes later, after beeps and metallic scans and a few chimes, a pressurized lock seemed to pop open. Smiling back at Addy, her dad then leaned forward and pulled aside another book, revealing a large handle of sorts. Pulling on it, the bookcase lurched forward like a giant door and revealed a single room behind it… with a set of spiral stairs crawling down. “Well, come on then.” Addy’s heart rapidly beat as her dad began to descend down the stairs before her. A secret door and codes and keys… Addy’s mind raced. ‘Most of my friends had panic rooms. This… this feels like something more.’ She knew she could still turn back. She had only seen a door and nothing more, but something deep down inside her pushed her to go forward. She could have listened to over caution… but she didn’t. Instead, she walked forward and down the stairs. Reaching the bottom landing, her dad was already waiting for her by an arch of some kind. “Ready?” Addy looked ahead and only saw darkness. Still, the little voice in her head told her to go forward. Her voice lost a little, she could only nod. Smirking, her dad looked back and threw on a switch. Instantly, the archway was illuminated by light from the other side, revealing a large underground room. Pushing ahead, her dad smiling the whole time like a parent watching their kid walk for the first time, Addy entered and began to look around. Entering the room, Addy spied two other doors at the far ends of the room, but between them… notes and papers and strings connecting all the walls together. Maps and files and IDs were all posted up and mashed together and only broke with a central computer station of sorts that blinked at regular intervals off in the corner. And in the central space, a large desk… overflowing with papers and newspapers and magazines of all kinds. Turing around, her mind burning with questions, Addy stared at her dad. “Dad? What is this place? Are you a… spy or something?” Her smirked and soon guided her to a pair of chairs where they both sat down. “No, honey. I’m not a spy working for the government. I just… well, I guess if you’re down here, you should know.” He then took a deep breath. “Sweetie… this place is kind of use to take down Juventas…” It was such a simple statement, but an answer loaded with a million other questions. “Take down… but wait… you’re a part of this, but… didn’t you and mom found Juventas in the first place?” Addy was scrambling through all the knowledge she had even been taught before by her parents… by the company’s website… by the internet… even by the plaque at the front of the main headquarters. Her dad took a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yes, we did. That wasn’t a lie. It’s just…” His eyes darted around the room. “The problem of Juventas have been tracked for a long time. What you see in here… beyond a few key points, it’s just the past six years alone.” Addy scanned the room and there must have been hundreds of files and reports. Each one different… each code with official numbers and case dockets. Some stood out more than others… like the Losantiville incident. Each paper was evidence… evidence of a problem with Juventas. Deep and widespread, the contents of the room could have been explosive if anyone ever saw them. It was a marvel… and a problem. Addy frowned. “Dad… all this is evidence. You’ve had all this the whole time?” She could feel a bubble of anger forming in her gut. “You’re on the board! Why didn’t you do something with it all?” “Honey…” By his looks, it seemed he had been wrestling with the same problem for years now… and had gotten nowhere with it. “Please understand… the board is a complex machine. Before, if I began to make the changes you want or reveal any of what was on these walls…” “Yeah, yeah… they’d come for you…” Addy didn’t mean to be so dismissive, but it was an argument she had heard from evil men ‘just following orders’ or ‘keeping the peace’ for so long now. It was hard for her to hear it from her own dad now. “Addy… no.” He sighed and looked her dead in the eyes. “They’d come for you.” It stopped Addy cold. “M… me? But… what did I do?” “Nothing,” he explained. “Nothing at all and that makes you their perfect target. It’s not as bad as it used to be with Mr. Thanatos at the helm of that department and all his ‘disappearances’… but it’s not much better either. Just more… covert now. And with you connected to Psyche… it was leverage over me to keep me quiet… to keep me from rocking the boat so to speak.” It was large dose of heavy truth. For years, she had been happy with Psyche… all the while it was like a gun being held to her dad’s head. Her fury quickly switched over to Juventas where it had been for some time now. “And… Warren?” “Well…” Her dad looked distant, almost as if there was truly something more to her brother’s story in all this. “He has a part in all this, but you really should hear it from him. Suffice to say… he has his vulnerabilities too…” Addy wanted to press and she normally would but with all this evidence and this secret room under so much security… she knew she had to keep her priorities in order. Looking around at all the papers, she was able to piece part of her question together already… the why of it all. With her resigning, Juventas’ leverage was now gone. “Okay… so, I get you’re telling me this now partially because of me not working and that’s their leverage over you gone, but… there’s got to be another reason,” she rationalized. Her dad leaned forward and nodded. “There is, because… well, frankly… I know the game well. Some might say too well at this point, but making the changes needed… the ones you want, honey… that’s a young person’s game. And…” He looked down at his own aging body. “That’s certainly not me anymore…” He sighed and then pointed back at Addy. “Addy… you’re a good nurse. Your mom was right about a lot of things… heck, she was right at just about everything… and she was right about you.” As he paused, he still seemed hesitant about whatever he was ramping up to. “Now… I would never presume to tell you what to do, but if you still want to use those talents she saw in you…” He paused and looked at her closely. “I think I have a solution… if you want that is…” “And that is?” Hearing his offer before, Addy had a guess, but she still needed to hear him say it out loud again now that she was standing here in this secret room. “Well, your mom left you two legacies. You followed in her footsteps with your time at Psyche. If you continued there, I have no doubt you would have one day held her old position as head of the Crescentia location… probably even the east coast or maybe even the whole organization with Juventas. I don’t know… but it’s not the only legacy she left you.” Addy was always intrigued by stories of her mom. Having lost her in college so suddenly, she always got the feeling of their time being cut short. There were so many things she would never get to experience with her, and now… so many things she never got to hear from her. Her dad, smiling though, then reached over to the desk and plucked up a single framed photo. Sighing with contentment, he soon handed it to Addy. Staring back at the camera was this room for sure. About a few decades cleaner and newer… but the same room down to the old desk in the middle, albeit completely empty in the photo. To the left, was definitely her dad. Thicker and darker hair and maybe only two wrinkles on his whole face but very much him. The person to the right though… younger as well, but definitely her mom. “What… what is this?” Her dad smiled and took the framed photo back before proudly displaying it next to him. “That was taken the day we opened this place. It wasn’t too long before it was taken that we decided that something needed to be done about Juventas.” His eyes remained happy and yet fixed and determined. “Addy… we started this place up together.” “Together…?” Addy looked around and saw the evidence against Juventas… the work piling up against them. “But… but why?” She knew why… because Juventas was evil… but she needed to know more than just that simple fact anyone with a brain knew about. “Well, it wasn’t too long after we brought on our new CEO, Drakos, that we saw him for who he truly was. He was in it for the money… the power… the dominion he wanted to hold over all the Littles we were drugging. We started off so simple and to cure diseases in both Bigs and Littles but… the money was in drugs that affected Littles more than just curing them of cancer. Only a few years into his job, he amassed a board he controlled, and your mom and I soon found ourselves overwhelmed. Seeing we needed to do something, with her in Psyche soon after and me as a ranking member of the board, we founded this organization.” He gestured around. “Find evidence… fight where we can. Help as many Littles as we can. Care for them and find them places to stay and to work through their demons and join with relief groups around the country. Get the Littles to safety and fund counter drugs to the ones that Juventas was and still is sending out by the bucket load. It wasn’t and still isn’t much, but finding votes on the board we could sway, your mom and I kept as many Littles safe as we could.” Addy was skeptical of their results… especially considering the state of the current company, but the pieces of the puzzle of her dad she had been questioning lately seemed to finally be sliding into place. Still… it wasn’t the whole picture. She needed more. “So… what happened?” His face sunk into an expression of dread and longing. By now, Addy knew it all too well. “Your mom died…” He took a few deep breaths, her death still affecting him all these years later. In all the years since, he had never even considered remarrying. It was sweet and sad at the same time. “But… after her death,” he continued after quickly glancing at his phone and nodding at whatever he saw there, “I just lost faith in my job and even our purpose here without her insights, so I resigned.” Addy knew it was the missing gap. She might have assumed as much as most knew that there was usually a before and after that point in the company’s history. Before, drugs were sold and were tough… but scandals were low and infrequent, maybe happening only once every few years. Since he had resigned with her death, it was the loss of two solid board members. With Warren new, and his current alignment still in the air even today, the results were clear. Drugs for Littles turned harsh and nasty and were often permanent. Experimenting with all the latest chemicals available and created in their labs, many Littles after that point never recovered once they had been dosed. Even a little less than twenty years later… those affected Littles were the exact same drooling messes as they were back then. “But you came back…” Addy sort of knew this part of the story. Considering he had resigned with their mom’s death, both her and Waren had been asked about his return to Juventas first. “I did. One of the reasons you know was because of Losantiville.” The name still seemed to taste bitter in his mouth these days. “It was a shameful event… you know that too probably. What you don’t know though…” His eyes shifted back to the file to one side of the room. “We may never know the full scope of how many were affected. Eight years later now… it’s possible some Littles are still feeling the fallout.” It was a whole host of lies. Juventas still mourned the event every year. Mostly PR but their one saving grace was the determination that everything was okay and that the community was rebuilding after what they had horrifically experienced. Now though… all that seemed like an outright lie. “But… I came back with a fury,” he continued. “I saw the sorry state of the company. I wanted more change than the firing of one sick individual. But… the board wasn’t playing along… so, I vowed on your mom’s gravestone that I would restore Juventas to the place that we founded together. A place to help the sick and the dying… not just the places that can give us money.” Once more, as if seeing the files and reports around her wasn’t enough, Addy knew there was more to the story… a problem he must have hit since he returned. “But… I don’t think I can keep my promise to her…” He nearly seemed to have to hold back a choked sob with that admittance. “I want to. I have the spirit, but I’m getting old, Ads. I feel it, and if I fight… I know I’ll lose… and lose bad.” As if to make his point, he groaned slightly as he plucked up his tea that he had brought down with him. “This company… it plays a deadly game. Those who fight it sometimes lose and it’s not pretty… for the fighter or their families.” For Addy, her dad was practically sounding the call to arms to her. His strength waning, she felt willing… desiring even to take up his position now. Reflecting on all the wrongs she had seen, it felt like such a clear-cut answer now. If not a nurse, and even continuing the legacy of both her parents, helping her dad out and making the company whole and good again… she nearly yelled out her answer to his unspoken question to her. “Dad… I will take your position on th…” “Addy…” His voice was firm. Not yelling but not something easy to miss either. He winced and sighed. “I… I love your enthusiasm. I admire it and what you’re about to say. It’s a moment I’ll even admit I’ve dreamed of… but before you go taking up my sword or whatever… listen to this first…” Taking a deep breath, Addy could see right through her dad. His shoulder carried the burden of knowledge. He knew everything… every little dead Juventas had done to keep their power and subjugate the Littles that dared to fight against them. Each layer he revealed seemed darker and worse than even Addy could have dreamt of in her worst nightmares. “I…” He hesitated and it almost looked like his body was fighting him in telling his daughter this one fact. “I know Cynthia.” Addy blinked and had to register the name for a second. Not having been named until Xander revealed it, she was the woman in black to Addy. But registering that odious name in her mind, she now felt a little sick. “You…?” “I knew her…” her dad answered with seeming disgust in himself about it. “We contracted her out for some previous work. Mostly corporate sabotage and a few… incursions. We can discuss those at another time but suffice to say… she was good at her job at being bad for us. Too good at her job, in fact.” Addy really didn’t want to know. Even in their brief time together, her past story must have been one filled with degradation and horrors no carer of Littles likely ever wanted to hear. “So, what happened that ended that partnership?” “A job she was hired to do went south. She protected herself and got out… but at the cost of some good people in the process. It was a failure and she threatened blackmail and stabbed a few of our security guards when she tried to run,” he explained. “We caught her and jailed her… but she escaped.” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Somehow…” Addy had seen enough movies to see this one. “Wait… you have a mole or a rat or whatever? An inside person who helped her escape?” Her dad pointed to one of the more recent files on the table. “We’re not sure yet. Too much speculation. For now, though… from what we suspect, some of our previous plans may have been leaked. We’re not linked to them since if they were, we’d be in prison by now… but thing might soon be changing around here.” Addy wanted to focus on several things. It was all a lot today… but one thing stood out to her above the rest. Something that was actually good news for a change it seemed. “Wait… there are others?” Her dad finally smirked once more. “Yes, Addy. I was just getting to that. Fortunately, we’re not alone in this.” Pushing a nearby button, he leaned into what looked like a microphone near the computer station. “You can come on in now.” The far-left door soon opened and in walked three figures. Addy’s eyes had to adjust to the light streaming in from what looked like a tunnel beyond, but she soon recognized both. “Wait… Elena? Josh? Emily?” “It’s good to see you again,” Josh said, his fingers slicking back his as best he could. “It’s about time you showed her, John,” Elena said with a bit of attitude. “I couldn’t believe you didn’t tell her and then invited her to the party all the same.” “We’ve been over this… it was for her own protection,” he explained. “This life… none of us can force it onto anyone else.” “Well… I kind of did,” Emily noted with a tiny wince. “No,” Addy’s dad countered. “That was different. You involved my daughter because she was a good and reliable person in Psyche and she could have been useful in discovering its shadier connections with Juventas. Now, with what information we’re getting…” “Hold on! Hold on!” Addy had to stop all this. She felt like she was coming in halfway through a conversation. “Three board members and a police sergeant in on this? What about the police captain? Other board members? What about Dr. Halgen?” “I’m afraid we’re it officially from the board,” Josh explained. “The rest are in Drakos’ pocket or are too scared or…” Elena trailed off for a moment. “I won’t speak for your brother.” Again, it was the same story with her brother… Addy was getting a little sick of that, but she knew she had another task on her to-do list now. Only problem… Warren was somewhere on vacation in Atlantica for another two weeks. He would have to wait… “And as far as the police captain and Dr. Halgen…” Emily stepped forward and handed a stack of papers to Addy, ones bearing a striking resemblance to the ones already on the wall. Looking down, it showed the police captain with a few connections to both Psyche and Juventas. “Right now, we’re not sure if we can trust him. About half the time, he looks like a good cop. The other half… we just have speculation and some loose connections… but it’s too much coincidence to let him in here.” “And Dr. Halgen?” Addy wanted to know about her the most if she really thought about it. After having resigned, no one had seen her. Her office was mostly empty and even her house offsite from the facility was seemingly abandoned by her. It hadn’t been long since she resigned… but it was still unusual for there to be absolutely no sighting of her whatsoever. “Dr. Halgen’s gone missing, Addy,” her dad noted with a heavy sigh. “She resigned like you know but no one’s seen her since. We’re going to dedicate some actual official manpower to find her, but that takes two days after her last sighting to call that in. Until then… we’re reaching out to some points of contact who might know something.” Addy could feel her stomach turn at the notion. She was part of the old guard at Psyche and with even Dr. Tracey gone now and the board seemingly controlling everything now more than ever before, her unknown fate wasn’t good news. But with everything, and these people here and plans in place and the deep corruption on most levels of the company, Addy was surer than ever that she wanted to join. “Dad… I still want to accept and join the board. I know I can do some good there with your help.” Elena, Josh, and Emily all practically jumped for joy… only stopping with Addy’s dad held up his hand. “I’m glad everyone is so happy with this, but…” He turned directly to Addy now. “Do me a favor. Just sit on this until after choosing day. If what I’m hearing is anything to be believed, a lot might change for you afterwards. So, tell me your answer then, okay? Please… don’t rush into this. Getting in is easy… getting out of this life once you’re in? Those aren’t great odds…” Addy always hated waiting but she knew her dad was just looking out for her. Based on their track record, accepting a position on the board was the right move but not without some major risks and considerations. If she did it, she might also involve Oliver. Given his background and Emily’s questioning about his ‘readiness’ at the mall… he seemed to have a part to play himself. But there was theory… and then there was the actual danger of practice in all this. “Okay,” she agreed with reluctance. “I’ll wait, but… what do I do in the meantime? Is there a manual I need to read or…?” A few snickers came from the three others. No one seemed to care though, and Addy’s dad only powered through them. “No. What you need to do… go back to the facility. See Oliver and hug him. Think of your future, and before tonight… send in your official resignation to Psyche. After that… think some more and think about Oliver and you… think about what this job will mean. It’s not for the faint of heart, and I know that’s not you… but please, indulge an old man. Just weigh all your options, okay?” “Okay, Dad.” This time, her agreement was sincere and without hesitation. ‘Resignation…’ it felt so wrong to say, but freedom from the sinking ship that was Psyche just seemed so right now. Her dad smiled. “You know… you’ve got a lot to learn, but maybe… just maybe, you might just be the one to turn this company around…” On that sentiment, after a few other discussions with the group, with the day pushing on and with an email to write, Addy headed back to the Psyche facility. Pulling in almost felt surreal now. She knew that by the end of the day, a clock would begin ticking for her for how much time was left for her here. With choosing day in less than a week, Addy knew she would only have one day after to pack and to leave. A lifetime of memories… stopped in less than seven days… Going up to her room, the email didn’t take long. Using a form, it was pretty straightforward and Addy felt almost an uplifting spirit move through her as she typed out the words that would kick off one of the biggest changes in her career. After, there would be no return, but as she read the line “I hereby resign at the end of the current cycle as a nurse at Psyche New Beginnings,” she knew that it just felt right. Clicking, ‘send,’ she knew her fate was sealed… for better or worse. Sitting back and knowing she would soon need to wake Oliver and Katrina from their naps, she knew she would miss this place and this job. There was just something about caring for sick Littles and making them better that truly felt fulfilling. But she also knew that Psyche was connected with Juventas and their scum and the corruption and danger and bribery and so many other claims. If even half of what was on those walls today was correct, Juventas and Psyche had a lot to answer for… Still, for now, she just smiled and began to imagine the outfits that Katrina and Oliver would wear. With it less than a week away, they needed to practice it all. Their speech, their walk… even choosing. All simple but for Littles… definitely not something they could pull off at the last minute. And for Addy, she wanted to make it special. Sad or not, even Little or not, she knew now that it would be her last here…

I really like the Tena Slip active fit Maxi, I recently brought a case of them and they have improved since my last case a few years ago, the tapes are much better and they feel more solid. They will never be like they was 25 years ago, I have a lot of nostalgia for them because Tena slip supers were my first incontinence nappy my foster parents got me. I have always loved how medical they are.

Made using Grok AI. New parts posted every Monday. Part Twelve: The Long Walk and the Forgotten Pages Morning light spilled softly through the nursery windows. Raven woke with a heavy, warm squish between her legs. The extra-thick nighttime diaper had done its job far too well. She lay there staring at the spinning lullaby mobile, cheeks already burning with fresh humiliation. The plush nanny dolls lowered the bars and lifted her onto the changing table. They untaped the soaked diaper, wiped her clean with warm cloths, and dusted her bottom generously with sweet-smelling powder. Then came the new outfit the Queen had chosen for the day: a soft lavender romper with puffy shoulders, short ruffled legs, and a snap crotch. The thick white daytime diaper with rainbow stars was fully visible underneath, blue tapes bright and obvious against her skin. Breakfast was the usual highchair ordeal. Raven poked at her oatmeal while the princesses chattered happily around her. The new wooden sign on the nursery door — Molly’s Nursery — still made her stomach twist every time she glanced at it. After the meal, the Queen kissed her forehead. “We’re going to have a lovely playtime in the big playroom today, sweetheart. The princesses have a special blanket-fort village planned.” Raven nodded mutely. Inside, her mind was already racing. The playroom was loud and chaotic when they arrived. Blankets and pillows were everywhere as the princesses built an elaborate fort city. Liora was directing traffic with dramatic flair. Sienna kept stealing extra pillows. Mira was carefully arranging storybooks along the edge. Thalia and Vesper were tying ribbons and arguing over color placement. The nanny dolls were busy fetching more supplies. No one was really watching Raven. She waited for the perfect moment — when all five princesses were deep in a playful argument about the best way to build a “diaper castle” tower — and slipped quietly toward the far hallway. Her thick diaper crinkled with every step, but the noise was swallowed by the giggles and chatter behind her. She kept walking. Through the side corridors, past quiet sitting rooms, and finally out one of the smaller garden doors. No alarms sounded. No magic walls rose to stop her. Pamperton simply… let her leave. The moment she stepped beyond the castle grounds the air felt a little cooler, the breeze a little fresher. She walked for what felt like a full hour, her short legs aching, the thick diaper forcing her into a constant waddle. The path wound through rolling hills that slowly grew wilder and more overgrown. Trees became taller. The bright pastel colors of Pamperton gradually gave way to deeper greens and earthier tones. The sky itself seemed to lose some of its perfect blue as she moved farther away. She was free. Or at least… outside. Eventually the path opened into a vast, overgrown ruin. Crumbling stone buildings covered in thick vines, faded murals of smiling babies on the walls, broken toys scattered across the ground. An entire abandoned fairy-tale kingdom, half-swallowed by time. The sky here was overcast. Everything felt heavy and lonely. Raven’s heart pounded with a strange mix of triumph and unease. She had only taken a few steps into the ruins when a soft voice called from behind her. “Molly… wait.” Raven spun around. Princess Mira stood there, calm and gentle as always, a small satchel slung over her shoulder. She had followed silently the entire way. “I saw you slip away during playtime,” Mira said quietly. “I didn’t want you to be alone out here.” Raven’s fists clenched. “Go back. I’m not coming with you.” Mira shook her head. “I’m not leaving you, Molly. Not out here.” “It’s Raven!” Raven snapped, voice sharper than she intended. “My name is Raven. Not Molly. Not here. Not anywhere. Call me Raven if you’re going to follow me, or just leave.” Mira paused, then gave a small nod. “All right… Raven. I’ll call you Raven while we’re exploring. But I’m still not leaving you alone.” Raven glared at her for a long moment, then turned and kept walking deeper into the ruins. Mira followed a few steps behind. They passed the remains of what had once been a grand nursery. Crumbling cribs with broken bars stood like skeletons. Faded murals showed babies playing with toys that now lay scattered and rotting on the floor. A mobile hung crookedly from the ceiling, its stars dull and motionless. Raven’s stomach twisted at how similar it all looked to her own nursery — only empty and abandoned. “See?” Mira said softly. “This place used to be part of Pamperton a long time ago. People lived here… until they didn’t.” Raven ignored her and kept walking. They moved into what looked like an old throne room. Vines had swallowed most of the stone seats, but a faded tapestry still hung on one wall, showing a group of babies playing under a rainbow sky. Scattered across the floor were broken rattles, torn picture books, and a few faded diapers that had clearly been left behind decades ago. Mira knelt beside a pile of debris in the corner and gently pulled an old, weathered diary from the rubble. “Look,” she said, brushing dust from the cover. “Someone left this here long ago.” Raven stopped walking. She didn’t want to listen… but she couldn’t help it. Mira opened the diary to a page marked with a faded ribbon and began to read in her calm, soothing voice. The writer’s name was Daphne. She described meeting a fairy girl — the exact same one Raven had encountered in the park, with the same twinkling book and mischievous smile. Daphne had been a young woman who felt invisible in the outside world. She worked long hours at a quiet office job, had no close friends, and spent most nights alone in a tiny apartment. One day, after a particularly bad breakdown where she realized she had gone three weeks without anyone speaking to her outside of work, the fairy girl appeared and offered her a way out. The diary went on to describe how Daphne eventually chose to stay in Pamperton — not because she was forced, but because the world outside had become too big, too cold, and too lonely for her. She wrote that she had tried to leave several times, but each time the loneliness outside felt heavier than the babyish life inside. Raven stood there in her lavender romper, thick diaper crinkling softly with every shift of her weight, staring at the crumbling walls around them. She was still determined to escape. But for the first time, the gray ruins and the old diary made her wonder just how far she was truly willing to go. Mira closed the book gently and looked at Raven with quiet understanding. “I’m not here to drag you back, Raven,” she said. “I just didn’t want you to be alone.” Raven said nothing. She turned and kept walking deeper into the ruins, Mira following a few steps behind, the satchel of changing supplies still slung over her shoulder. The day was still young. And the path ahead was longer than she had expected.

Does anybody want the Super Dry Kids in XL, Free to good home, just pay delivery, only in UK, I'll have to sort out with the courier as they have a drop off locker thing end of my street, can post to another locker in UK.    er.

This is an excellent point!  It's impossible to get to "absolutely, always, no ability to hold it" levels of incontinence. It's worth realizing just how far you've come, and enjoy the effect. Hope this leads to lots of wet diapers and happiness!