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Hello and welcome, glad to have you

Wow.  Just wow.  Gabby really is a self-centered twat.  This behavior borders on sociopathy, not gonna lie. 

--- Chapter 56 --- Mommy was stressed. She ran her hands through her hair, with her nails scratching roughly on her scalp, the way she always did when she was stressed. Plus, she was pacing. It was probably due to money. It was almost always about money, because she wasn’t very good at managing it. She could be impulsive, especially when it brought her joy, even if that joy was fleeting, but she also frequently made poor decisions and then found a way to talk around the fact that they were actually good ideas at the time. It was frustrating to witness and be subjected to, but unable to help. Not that Sam was any better with money than she was – she didn’t know how she was with money. She hadn’t really been given the chance. But she had learned a lot from listening to Mommy make rash decisions and then later complain. She’d complain about money, then get a sitter so she could go to her favorite bar. Both costly choices that prioritized her feeling better in the moment, even if it contributed to her overall stress. She really liked a guy at that bar. Sam had heard his name more frequently lately, but hadn’t met him since Mommy always met him at the bar. Roger? Ronald? Reggie? Something like that. She was confident it began with an R. This level of stress meant a bar trip was impending. A tune was playing nearby. TV? Radio? Some toy? Either way, it was chirping along without a care in the world. ‘If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!’ Two distinct sounds of hands clapping. ‘If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!’ Again. ‘If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!’ “Mommy?” Sam asked as she held up her empty sippy cup. The large woman didn’t appear to hear her as she paced the kitchen, feverishly stressed. Sam’s lower lip protruded as she felt the need to help her. Mommy always felt better when she was taking care of her. If she was taking care of someone else, she wasn’t worrying about her own stress. “Mommy?” Sam called out again as she waved the sippy cup in the air, but the room darkened. Had Mommy turned out the lights? The children’s tune sounded louder and more distinct. And it now felt ominous. ‘If you’re happy and you know it —‘ “Mommy??” she called again, her voice turning nervous and scared. Usually she came pretty quickly when called. “Sam,” a strange, deep voice came from behind her. Sam jumped as she spun around in her playpen, trapped, with a large, shadowy figure looming. “Mommy!! MOMMY!!” Sam screamed in terror, turning around as she called out to the woman, but she was nowhere to be seen. She slammed her hands against the playpen wall, the mesh pushing out and failing to make any sound. As she felt the shadowy figure touch her, she began screaming. ‘If it’s scaring, don’t be daring, suck your thumb!’ Clap-clap. She needed Mommy. ‘If it’s scary, don’t be daring, suck your thumb!‘ Clap-clap. She needed help! If it’s scary, don’t be daring, just cry for someone caring, and wait for help while you suck your thumb! Clap-clap. She needed Mommy!! “Samantha –” Sam let out a gasp as her eyes flung open, staring into a blanket, her heart pounding in her throat. Her body was shaking, and she began gasping for air, trying to get a sense of the world around her. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a large hand on her shoulder, and she closed her eyes, shivering, fearful of the shadowy figure. Her hands flew to her face to cover it protectively, and without giving it a second thought, her right thumb went into her mouth. It felt comforting. It felt right. “Sam,” the male voice soothed calmly, shifting in the bed to get closer to her. She shivered as she sucked on her thumb a little harder; don’t be daring. “It’s Greg. You’re home… you’re safe.” Greg… If it’s scary! Greg… Don’t be daring! Gregory Vankor. That’s right… “Gregory,” she whispered around her thumb before her breath caught in her throat and she bit down on her thumb, her eyes welling up with tears. “Yeah,” he replied quietly as he moved again, closer to her still and his hand moved towards her back. He gently stroked her backside for a moment, then kept his hand still. “Are you okay?” Sam curled forward, trying to tighten her body into a ball, and she closed her eyes as tight as she could. No. She wasn’t okay. But she wanted to be… and he wanted her to be. Her entire body shuddered as she desperately wanted to be hugged, kissed, and told everything was going to be all right. Attempting to sniffle through her snot-filled nose, she eventually forced a nod, realizing Greg was patiently awaiting a response, as he always did. But she wished he wouldn’t. Not this time, at least. She didn’t want to have to think or process right now. Her brain wasn’t working right, that much she understood, and she just wanted to exist without any effort. Cry when you’re messy, cry when you’re tired, cry when you’re hungry — cry for Mommy! Her entire body tensed as she fought the urge to cry and instead tried to shrivel tighter into a ball. Her eyes already stung from the exhaustive crying the day before… Real crying. Not the performative crying she did when she needed Mommy’s attention. Or the staff at Little Rainbows. Or DLS staff. “Sam, do you know where you are?” ‘Please hold me. Please, please, please…’ “Sam?” Greg asked again, feeling her tense body shivering beneath his hand. He frowned, feeling a pit in his throat, wishing he understood what was going on or what she needed. He looked towards the door when there was a soft knock, and he swallowed. “Yeah?” he called out as gently as possible. “Is everything okay in there?” Kelly asked equally as gently behind the door. “I…” Greg started, feeling a freeze response seize him as he stared down at Sam, unsure if more people would help. In her place, he would likely want to be left alone (though Charlie rarely abided that wish). So he thought to reverse the scenario: if this were Charlie, he’d be holding him tightly to reassure him. But Charlie always knew he meant it well… manhandling his Little brother had been a part of brotherly love and fun. In high school, Greg had always been careful to respect and safeguard Samantha’s autonomy; she climbed up in and down out of his car and car seat on her own, she would take her own seat at the Sconce, and if she needed help, she always asked. Migrating from that default with her towards his default with Charlie didn’t feel right. “Greg?” Kelly repeated, concern beginning to grow in her tone. “Fuck,” Greg cursed under his breath as he reached his arm out in front of Sam, placed his hand on her arms, and pulled her in towards him. He paused for a moment, hearing her gasp, but when she didn’t fight it and her body shivered again, he continued until her back was against his chest. He curled his legs up and began to surround her in a hug. Very quickly, Sam rolled over to face him, grabbed his shirt, and buried her face into his chest. Her entire body shivered as she let out a muffled cry into his chest, and he closed his eyes, breathing out a slow sigh through his nose. “Greg?” Kelly whispered as she turned the doorknob, pushing the door open ever so slightly. “I’m sorry, I just…” “It’s okay,” Greg replied softly, feeling Sam press her face in further to muffle herself more. He stroked her back a few times before looking over to the door and offering a grimacing smile. “We’re just… taking our time.” “Okay,” Kelly heaved, her face turning a shade pinker as she placed her hand on her chest and her lower lip protruded slightly. Charlie finally made his presence known as he peeked through the crack, tossing his brother a sympathetic smile before tapping Kelly’s hip and gesturing his head down the hall, to which she nodded in reply. “I’m going to get breakfast ready.” Greg only nodded in reply, and the door was almost silently shut, though it was rather quickly followed by Charlie’s energetic voice. Kelly’s footfalls and his voice slowly grew quieter as they made their way down the hall, and Greg stared at the wall for a long moment before looking down to the small form curled against him. Sam had always been small physically, but she had more than made up for it in her presence. Yet in the absence of her enthusiastic aura, he could see that truth before him, and now, holding her in a way he never had in high school, she also felt fragile. Looking up, he tried to recall whether he had witnessed or experienced his parents’ reassurance of him or Charlie in a moment of genuine anguish like the one Sam seemed to be experiencing. Unfortunately, Charlie mostly weaponized his crying to achieve a goal, so he hadn’t seen his brother genuinely cry that much (plus, their mother’s brand of reassuring him was usually over the top). As for him, he often ended up crying alone or with his brother, late into the night when he felt comfortable crying or finally had the time to process something he had been avoiding. But there was a single instance that popped into his head: it was when he was 6, and Charlie had caught the stomach flu. Their mother quarantined them into the primary bedroom, so he and his father were left to fend for themselves. It had been a decent day until it was time for bed, and Greg realized how sick his brother was and started crying. ”What’s wrong, bud?” Gerald asked sympathetically, his tone sounding curious but cautiously aware of the root cause. “Charlie’s sick,” Greg sniffled out, rubbing his right eye both from tiredness and to rub out the tears. “Yeah,” Gerald confirmed with a nod, setting his hand on his son’s back and giving it a gentle rub. “Are you worried about him?” “Yeah,” Greg whined, his watery eyes looking towards the empty nursery that felt abandoned. “Being sick is tough. It’s painful, exhausting, and just plain stinks,” his father explained as he gave a gentle push on his son’s back, coaxing him towards his bathroom. “But it sucks for us too, you know? We miss our loved ones, they’re hurting, and we can’t do much about it… and — here we go.” Gerald lifted his son up onto the step stool in front of the sink, half-grinning as he pointed to the toothbrush. “And we have to keep on moving with the world, like nothing’s wrong.” Greg stared at his toothbrush as the tears dried up, confused as he looked at the sink, unsure of what was happening. “Your brother’s going to be fine,” Gerald soothed as he placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “It’s just a little tummy bug, and Mommy’s there for him for whatever he needs. So she, and he, need you to be a big boy and keep this house together in their absence.” Once again, he gestured to the toothbrush. “Can you do that? Can you help me keep up our routines?” Greg paused, staring at the toothbrush, then looked up to his father. Slowly, he nodded, despite his confusion, and grabbed both the toothbrush and toothpaste. He hadn’t understood at the time, but he had filed away the lesson anyway, under “keep the routines, even when others can’t.” It was a fine lesson, in a way, especially for a business-minded person; companies don’t stop churning just because you’re not feeling well. Which reminded him to check if Saki had replied yet, but his thoughts didn’t linger on it… Instead, he was seeing that lesson through fresh eyes now, and he saw both the good and the bad. It wasn’t the best time for a lesson like that, and Greg was seeing it for what it was: selfish. His father was ready to put him to bed and didn’t want to manage his son’s emotions, so he hijacked a genuine moment of fear to force a lesson of perseverance. But it did jolt him out of his fear for Charlie, which had been replaced by confusion. If he wanted to be generous, he could claim his father’s intention was to show him that distractions were helpful when there was nothing you could otherwise do about the problem. “I’m sorry,” Sam suddenly squeaked out, sounding miserable and breathy as she pressed her face as hard as she could against him. Her breath stuttered on the way in, sounding like she was struggling not to cry. Greg blinked a few times, feeling a sort of whiplash as he was pulled from his thoughts and felt a slight burn in his cheeks, wondering how long he had been silently reflecting. “For what?” he asked instinctually, then winced, wishing he had given himself a little more of a pause before speaking. Thankfully, Sam didn’t reply right away, and he took in a deep breath, glad to take the opportunity. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.” He felt her body tense up and shake, and his eyebrows furrowed. “Sam,” he whispered as he leaned towards her and pressed his hand on her back. “Talk to me… please.” “I-I’m fine,” she stuttered as she took in an unsteady breath, finally pulling her red and chafed face away from his chest. As she angled her face to match his gaze, she gave him a wide smile. But something in her eyes didn’t match the expression she was trying to pull off. “Sam,” he began, and she let in a noisy breath, her face contorting in pain. “Please,” she whispered as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and clenched hard, her look at him pleading… begging. “I’m okay. Please.” Greg stared at her for a long moment, watching the twitches in her face as she grimaced, winced, and begged silently. Her eyes searched all over his face while he remained calm and unmoving, taking in every movement, twitch, and expression of hers. Slowly, after he had soaked it all in, he moved his hand from her back to her shoulder, and he gave her a small smile. “Okay,” he said with a slight nod, holding back the sigh he wanted to exhale. “I know you’re lying,” he continued, pausing and frowning when he saw her expression shift and look a bit more horrified. He clenched his jaw momentarily; he was used to being able to call Charlie out like that, who would often grin in response. He dropped his tone into a softer register, trying to make his tone sound apologetic while finishing out his original thought, “But we don’t have to talk about it right now.” Sam’s face was frozen for a few seconds before she exhaled in what sounded like all of her breath as she dropped the eye contact. He felt her shoulder drop and her body finally relax… sort of. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, struggling to understand her reactions, as they seemed to be quickly shifting while she was trying to manage and hide it all at the same time. “Let’s get changed,” he stated as he pushed the blanket off her. He couldn’t see the state of her diaper due to the oversized shirt she slept in, but he moved his legs to sense that his own was only half used. “We’ll need to see Charlie off to his first day.” “Oh… yeah,” she replied breathily as she dried her eyes with her palms. Greg let out a stretching groan as he sat up in the bed, sending his elbows out to stretch his shoulders first, then extended his arms and pushed back as far back as they could go. As his arms came down, Sam seemed to reach up for him, and before he could realize that, he set his arms down in his lap. She jerked, looking suddenly uncomfortable as she grabbed at the hem of her shirt and looked at the door. “Is, um… Kelly…” He took a breath as he glanced to the door, then down at Sam as she wrung her shirt nervously, then he arched an eyebrow. “Do you want Kelly to change you?” He meant it as an innocent question, but she must have taken a deeper meaning behind it as she tensed up and looked up at him with concern. “N-no – or, I mean – I don’t mind if…” Sam brought her hand to her mouth, looked down at her thumb, then jerked it away from her face as her cheeks quickly turned pink, then red. “What would you prefer?” he asked with a slight frown, wishing she would be more forthcoming or, at the very least, just answer his questions. She twisted the shirt in her grasp as her shoulders rose up slightly, freezing at the height of a shrug as she stared at the bed. Was she nervous about him changing her? He could understand that. There was a degree of separation with Kelly, as they hadn’t known each other before her Adoption. “We have a robo-nurse,” he offered as he gestured up to the ceiling. “Charlie used her - we named her Veronica - before we hired Kelly. And I use her too. I can jump in the shower and you just… ask her.” “Okay,” Sam stated quickly with a nod, her eyes still pinned to the bed. Greg stared for a moment, once more lamenting that she wasn’t more forthcoming, but he sighed as he pushed himself to the edge of the bed. “All right,” he relented, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood up and let out a small stretching groan once more. He scratched at his scalp, glancing once more to Sam, who had lain on her back and was now staring at the ceiling, before he walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He stood and lingered, his hand on the doorknob, staring forward as he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Slowly, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Once the door was shut, Sam slapped her hands over her mouth, feeling the urge to burst into tears. She closed her eyes as she lurched forward, breathing heavily through her nose as she told herself to control it over and over and over again. Stop crying, Sam! He doesn’t want a baby! She held her breath as she leaned all the way forward, placing her forehead on the bed. She let out a soft whine behind her hands as she exhaled and released the tension in her body. That wasn’t fair. No, it was a correct observation that Greg didn’t want a baby, but it wasn’t like she wanted to be one, either. He wanted her to be her, and she wanted to be her, but she wasn’t. At least, not now. She had her moments, just like she had with her Mommy Amazon, but her brain and body felt at war with her, if a “her” beyond her brain and body existed. She didn’t understand everything she was feeling. She kept hitting walls of emotion so intense that she just wanted to be held and comforted. Was that programmed into her? Had that been hypnosis? Or was she trained to be overwhelmed and seek comfort? Or was it just… her? She didn’t remember how she had lost her ability to walk. Or her potty training. She didn’t recall doctors or surgeries, and for a brief moment, she reminded herself that Casey didn’t have the money for those types of things. Which felt distinctly worse. Had she just… forgotten how to walk? Sighing and rolling onto her back, Sam stared up at the ceiling, blinking through the tears. She let out a small sigh, briefly glancing to the door as she heard the shower turn on, and she pursed her lips. “Veronica?” she asked quietly, and a gentle chime indicated a response… she assumed. “Can I… get a… diaper change?” “Of course,” a pleasant, feminine voice sang as three panels in the ceiling opened up, and two robotic arms came down to lift the shirt, while a third held onto a fresh, still folded diaper. Placing her arms to her sides, she bit her lower lip as she resolved to try and form a coherent explanation of what she was struggling with. Maybe… maybe if, while not crying, she could explain these instincts, or these songs, or – Riiiip! “Babababa!” “Charlie?” “Yeah?” he replied absently from his high chair as he sipped from his milk with a splash of coffee, his mind firmly engaged in his strategizing for the day. “Have you… ever been spanked?” Charlie’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead as the question snapped him out of his preparations, and he looked over at Kelly, who was cautiously looking at him while holding a bottle of syrup meant for the waffles on the plate. He half-grinned at her as he recovered from his surprise, letting one eyebrow fall while he arched the other. “Are you already bored in the bedroom?” he asked bemusedly, and Kelly’s shoulders rose up as her face flushed. “N-no!” she stammered with a gasp, and Charlie immediately threw his head back and laughed. She let out an awkward laugh as she moved her hand over her mouth, briefly looking towards the foyer to verify no one was coming. “Of course not,” she added with a slight giggle, rubbing a finger under her nose as her blushes intensified. She turned her eyes down to the waffles as she lifted the bottle of syrup, her shy smile dropping as she returned to the original topic. “I just… keep hearing poor Jonathan’s cries…” “Ahh,” Charlie gasped in understanding and nodded, leaning back in his high chair as he pursed his lips. “Yeah, but only once.” “Who –” Kelly cut herself off as she hissed, her hand having squeezed the bottle reflexively and a glob of syrup came out. She winced, tilting it upright and setting it down on the counter with a thud as she stared at it only for a moment, then looked over to him. He half-smiled as he shrugged. “It was a long time ago,” he dismissed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Did it hurt?” she asked softly, almost in a whisper. “Well, yeah,” he scoffed and then immediately laughed. “That’s the point!” Unfortunately, Kelly did not take this in the lighthearted way he meant it, which, in hindsight, he should have known would happen. She raised her hands to her mouth, horrified, her eyes glassy. “D-do they spank at Little Steps?” she muffled behind her hands, her eyes widening more at the mere thought. “How should I know? You’re the one that signed the paperwork!” Charlie laughed again as he threw his hands out, misstepping once more, for despite the truth in that, Greg would’ve laughed and conceded the point. But not Kelly – nooo, instead, she gasped in horror as her eyes began racing around the room. “I did!” she practically mouthed as she began frantically pacing the kitchen, her hands reaching out to surfaces as if to recall where she had placed the paperwork. She grabbed at a few drawers and began pulling them. “Kelly! Kelly!” Charlie called out as he threw his head back in a groan. “Come here, please.” “Charlie, what if –” “Come here, please,” he repeated with more exasperation and put his arms up for her. She raced over and pulled out of the high chair, hugging him tightly. “Listen, I know all of this has been hard for you,” he started with a sigh, trying his best to be sympathetic to how difficult this new worldview was for her. “But I need you to really, really absorb what I’m about to say, okay?” Kelly took in a few deep breaths to calm before she nodded, and their tight embrace was released so he could look her in the eyes. He smiled sadly as he reached up, wiping a fearful tear that was clinging to her eyelashes. “I may be a weak Little baby in the eyes of everyone outside of this house, but I am far from helpless,” he stated calmly and as serious as he could muster, not wanting to muddy his message with humor or sarcasm, especially this next part. “I am a privileged, spoiled brat.” Kelly’s mouth did turn upward slightly, but she didn’t laugh, given the seriousness of Charlie’s tone and expression. “But I’m tactical about it. I don’t abuse that for no reason, and I am always careful about how hard I push. Please trust me, and I promise, I am always careful, even when it looks like I’m not.” Kelly stared at him for a long moment before biting her lower lip and slowly nodding. He blew a short laugh out of his nose. “You do realize I’ve been doing this for longer than you’ve been alive, right?” he smirked, having lingered in the seriousness of the moment long enough. “You’ve always had Jennifer,” Kelly countered almost effortlessly; she must have had that at the ready for some time now. Charlie’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “She had no problem throwing her weight around if she thought you were even slightly uncomfortable…” “And you don’t think I’ve compensated for that?” he chuckled as he lifted his hands to flank her face and planted a kiss on her lips. “I know how to work most of the people in my life, especially the nuts at that school. Except you. I love you, Kelly, but you’re the wildcard in my life right now.” “Me??” she gaped. “Yes, you!” Charlie laughed. “I know how Greg will respond to most situations, and 99% of Amazons are utterly predictable. But you – you, I’m still figuring out.” Much to Charlie’s relief, Kelly finally laughed. “That’s such a lie!” she scoffed as she shook her head, walking him over to the kitchen island to pick up the waffles. “You’ve known how to navigate me for years!” “That was before,” he corrected as he licked his lips, hungrily eyeing the syrup-smothered waffles. “Before, you were happy to let me do whatever because all you needed to do was make sure I didn’t get a rash or die. But now you’ve got skin in the game.” “I’ve always had skin in the game,” she purred as she kissed his temple before setting him down in his high chair. “I just have more reason to act on it now.” “Fair enough,” he grinned, winking up at her before grabbing the dino fork and digging in. “Morning!” Kelly chirped, and Charlie looked over, seeing Greg half-smile in greeting as he carried Sam, still in one of his t-shirts, looking a bit sheepish. Charlie frowned curiously but simply nodded as he chewed, having overstuffed his mouth with delicious, delicious waffles. “Morning,” Greg replied as he stepped up to his seat, grinning at Charlie’s plate. “Are the waffles a bribe to get you to stay?” “If it ish, itsh no’workin’,” Charlie mustered around the mouthful, and Sam snorted, which quickly turned into a giggle. As his brother sat down, Charlie eyed the two again as he swallowed. “Everything okay?” “Yeah,” Greg sighed as he positioned Sam in his lap, offered the chair next to him, but she shook her head and leaned against him. She bit her lower lip as Greg rubbed the back of his neck. “I forgot to tell Veronica to use scissors.” Charlie stared at him for a few seconds as his brain seized, confused by what seemed like a secret code. “You know, I did some research last night,” Kelly spoke up from the kitchen as she plated more waffles. Charlie’s face lit up as it all clicked what had happened, and he nodded, chewing quickly so he could swallow. “And I think avoiding the sound isn’t going to help.” “Oh?” Greg sat up a little straighter. “From what I read, triggers need to be desensitized through overexposure,” she explained as she walked the plates over and stretched over the table, setting them down for the pair. Sam’s face lit up at the waffles as she reached out, pulling the plate closer. Greg smiled as he pulled the syrup bottle closer for her. “So just do changes as normal?” he asked as he looked to Kelly. “More than that, I think,” she replied as she grabbed her plate and joined everyone at the table. “We might need to do like, a five-minute chunk of just ripping the tapes over and over again.” Charlie watched as Sam grabbed at the syrup bottle and tried to lift it herself, grimacing at the weight. It was a 3/4-filled bottle, and although not impossible for him to handle, he knew it would be unwieldy at best, and she was at a bad angle. He looked to Greg, who was firmly engrossed in the conversation. “Could we make a recording and play it on a loop?” “Might not have the same effect, but worth a try.” “Greg,” Charlie cut in, nodding to Sam, who was struggling with the syrup bottle. “Oh, sorry –” Greg started. “No, it’s okay, I – I’m okay,” Sam flustered, her face turning red, and Greg nodded in acceptance. Charlie arched an eyebrow. “Did you read anything else?” “Yeah, so, definitely we need to break the expected patterns.” “Greg,” Charlie stressed in irritation as he pointed to Sam, who managed to angle the syrup bottle and was tipping it from the base over her waffles. “Just fucking help her.” “I don’t –” Sam started to deny, shooting a panicked look to Charlie. “She doesn’t –” Greg started to defend, gesturing down to her to prove his point. “Stop, stop,” Charlie announced loudly as he put both of his hands up and closed his eyes to gather himself. “Look, I’ve played this game already, so let me cut to the chase: you’re –” Charlie emphasized by staring straight at Greg and then pointed to him. “Going to try and overcompensate by treating her like she can do everything herself. It’s meant as a kindness, but really, it just sucks, because she’s going to want to meet your expectations – just like I did – and be afraid of what it means when she can’t meet them.” Greg stared at his brother for a moment, but as his lips thinned, he nodded in understanding. “And you,” Charlie continued as he moved his pointed finger to Sam, his eyebrows raising high on his forehead. She shrank back slightly against Greg, causing Charlie to hesitate. He didn’t know her well enough to make any firm declarations about what she needed to do, though he was confident he could bullshit it and likely be at least 60% correct. But as he stared at her fearful-looking eyes, he licked his lips, thinking about his many missteps with Kelly compared to Greg. He could be blunt with his brother… and that’s what he needed to focus on. “I would say you ‘can’ be straightforward with Greg, but it’s more than that: you need to be straightforward with him. I know you know him, and I know you know he’s smart… but think of him as the stupidest smart person in the world and just tell him exactly what you need or want, or he won’t get it.” For a split second, all Sam could do was stare in horror at Charlie, but as Greg laughed, his moving stomach jerked her from her thoughts, and she looked up at him. Greg smiled down at her and nodded, giving a slight shrug to back his brother up. “He’s not wrong,” Greg grinned as he lifted the syrup bottle and began to pour. “Tell me when.” Sam’s eyes flickered between the syrup and Greg a few times before she looked over at Charlie, and they shared a smile. “When,” she giggled softly. “Remember the safe word?” “Potty,” Kelly declared with a nod, staring out the windshield at the Little Steps building. Charlie grinned from his car seat, rocking his feet back and forth for a few seconds, which was about all the patience he had. “Kelly?” “Yes! Moving!” she forcefully chirped as she opened the car door and stepped out. Charlie snickered quietly as he watched her round the car and come to his door. She stole a few seconds outside of the car, taking in a deep breath, which Charlie mirrored as he melted into his role. Once the door opened, he was in Choo-choo mode. “I get new friend today?” he asked curiously, and Kelly’s eyes snapped to him, a sly grin forming on her face just for a moment before she melted into her usual bubbly persona. “You do!” she giggled as she unbuckled him, and he cheered as she lifted him into her arms. “Did you think of a name for him?” “Yeah,” he nodded as he kicked his legs, looking around the parking lot curiously. “Well?” she probed, pulling out a much smaller diaper bag than normal with CHARLIE VANKOR very clearly embroidered in a cursive font on the side. He cocked his head to the side as he stared at it, vaguely recalling Jennifer buying it many years ago… Kelly must have been raiding the storage bins of old stuff. Charlie pointed at it. “What’s that?” he asked, and Kelly snorted. “It’s your bag of stuff for school,” she stated as she hoisted the bag over her opposing shoulder and shut the door. “Ohhh… blankies?” he asked as he craned his neck towards the bag, genuinely curious what she had stuffed in there besides the usual. Maybe she had snuck in some good snacks. Schools usually had terrible snacks. “Nooo, more like diapers and extra clothes,” Kelly somewhat sang as she (slowly) walked towards the entrance. “Borin’,” he grumped as he rested his chin on her shoulder. “School will be exciting enough,” she grumbled, somewhat good-naturedly, under her breath. He made a mix of a whine and grumble in response, looking behind her as they walked, noting the excessive cameras on the light fixtures. He pursed his lips, wondering if they were for show to reassure the Amazons, or if they had ever had an escapee. If he had closed his eyes, he would’ve known Kelly was about to open the front door because she took in a deep breath like she was about to dive into water, and her entire body tensed up. He smiled as he looked up at the sky; he secretly loved how much she hated this. “Hi Kelly! Hi Charlie!” Sarah greeted enthusiastically, and he spun his head around to see her standing in a jean dress with a white floral collared shirt underneath, holding up his partner plush: a very fat raccoon. “Charlie!!” Charlie greeted happily as he held his arms out towards the overstuffed raccoon. He was dressed in an ancient Roaman toga with a golden crown, which had been one of many outfits associated with his previous career of choice: actor. “Charlie…?” Sarah questioned as she looked between him and the raccoon. Charlie giggled as he wiggled his fingers for the plush; he had managed to delay naming him in front of everyone the week before because he needed a cover name, as his true name, Rascal, would be far too revealing. Charlie leaned dramatically forward, and Kelly acquiesced, stepping forward to hand him off to the gaping Sarah. “Oh, honey, he should have his own name.” Charlie patted the chubby stomach of the raccoon with glee, still impressed that they had that level of customization. “He’s me!” the Little bubbled as he grabbed the raccoon’s arms and made him clap. “Well, he’s his own raccoon,” Sarah chuckled as she shifted Charlie on her hip, lifting her free hand to pat the plush’s head. “But…” Charlie pouted as he pushed his lower lip out. “He’s old me?” “Well,” Sarah intoned as she grimaced at Kelly, who gave her a sympathetic smile. “He’s the old you’s mascot.” “Charlie, the Charlie mascot!” he chirped as he poked the raccoon’s nose. Sarah let out a laugh as she placed her hand on her face. “We’ll workshop it,” she mused to Kelly, who covered her mouth as she let out a small giggle and nodded. “Good luck,” Kelly mumbled good-naturedly, then ran her hand over Charlie’s hair as she leaned to the side to look at him as she smiled. “Okay, Choo-choo, I’m heading out.” Aaaaaand showtime! Charlie’s head snapped to her as he immediately contorted his face in confusion. Kelly jerked in surprise, her eyebrows furrowing as she stared at his face, and although her lips parted, she didn’t immediately say anything. “Say bye-bye!” Sarah chirped as she made a waving motion to Kelly, whose eyes flickered between the two, clearly nervous that something was about to happen. Charlie put Rascal the raccoon in a headlock with the arm farther from Kelly while he reached the other out for her and began to whine. Kelly’s arms jumped slightly, instinctively wanting to take him back, but she stopped short, summoning restraint. Good for her. “I - I don’t stay, Choo-choo,” she explained softly, placing both of her hands on her chest. “School’s just for you.” “Kelly stay,” he whined as he began to lean towards her, causing Sarah to steady him with one hand, and she took a step backward to give them distance. “Charlie, sweetie, Kelly will be back at lunchtime,” Sarah explained with a slight chuckle, clearly not prepared for how serious he intended to make this. Good. “No! Kelly stay!” he repeated more pouty-like now as he started to breathe more shallowly, quickly working himself up. “You should probably go before –” Sarah started to stage whisper. “NOOOO!!!” Charlie bellowed immediately, having expected that response; it was classic! Try to shoo away the guardian before the full meltdown could begin! He began to wail and thrash in Sarah’s arms, releasing Rascal completely and periodically reaching out for Kelly between thrashes. “KELLYYYYYY STAAAAY!!” “Choo-choo…” Kelly breathed, her hand oscillating between laying on her chest and over her mouth. It was almost enough to make him stop (Greg would have handled this so much better), but in the spirit of his newest stuffed friend (whose name was actually Rascal), he needed to persevere. “Charlie - hun - Ch-Charlie!” Sarah stammered as she fumbled with him, trying to keep him in her arms but was struggling. “KELLLYYYY,” he sobbed as he wiggled his fingers at her. “PEEEEAS!” “Cha – Choo-choo!” Kelly flustered as she stepped forward and took his hands, pressing her thumbs into his palms. He tried to flop forward into her arms, and while Sarah kept his lower half steady, she didn’t fight him leaning his upper half on Kelly; he let out another wail, but a bit quieter, given that Kelly was beginning to crack. “Do you want to go home?” “Nooooo,” he whined as he gripped her hands tightly, opening up his watery eyes to look at her. “Staaaay.” “Ohh, honey,” Kelly heaved, stepping close enough to put her hand on the other side of his head and gently push it down onto her chest. Damnit! She was playing dirty! “I can’t stay with you. But if you change your mind, you tell Miss Sarah, and I’ll come get you right away. I promise.” Charlie stuck out his lip as he made a pouty sound to acknowledge that he heard her, but then she breathed in deeply, her hand still steadying his head, so her breasts pressed against his face. Damnit, Kelly! No way that wasn’t on purpose! This was about showing Little Steps how much he loved her in recompense for last week. Why was she retaliating?! “I love you, Choo-choo,” she purred as she kissed the top of his head. Charlie sniffled, grabbing her shirt as he grumpily glared down at the floor. “Love you,” he pouted. “Ooh, Kelly,” Sarah gushed softly, and although he felt the urge to smile, Charlie channeled that energy into glaring more and frowning down at the floor. It was the first time they had said that to each other in public, let alone in front of Sarah, and that was not lost on her. Perhaps that was enough to demonstrate Kelly’s superpower as a caregiver and make up for last week. Kelly’s quiet giggle in response and the sudden heat radiating from her chest both seemed to convince him that was the case. “Is that new?” Sarah whispered. “Somewhat, yeah,” Kelly replied shyly and gave a minor shrug. “It just sort of… happened.” “What is going on in here?” demanded the curt, serious voice of Director Casper, causing Sarah to tense up and gasp. As the three of them looked to her, she was glowering at them just before her eyes landed on Charlie, and her entire demeanor shifted on a dime. Her eyebrows rose up high, and she forced a thin smile. “Mrs. Casper!” Sarah greeted in a much-too-high octave, and Charlie let out a genuinely surprised cry as he was pulled away from Kelly abruptly. “So sorry for the interruption. Charlie’s just - having trouble saying goodbye.” “Kellyyy,” he let out a whine on cue as he reached for her. The Amazon smiled as she reached out, took his hands, and kissed his forehead. “You’ll have a wonderful time, Choo-choo,” she purred. There it was: total mission success! She had been vindicated as a caregiver, and now had the confidence to let him go. “Would you like to stay and observe?” …What?! “What?” Sarah and Kelly actually asked in surprise. Charlie’s eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead as he gaped at the director, and the two Amazons jointly holding him mirrored the slackened jaw. No! Damnit, no!! If Kelly stuck around, there was no way he could get away with tormenting Sarah! But if he said no, it would completely invalidate his tantrum! Damnit!! “YAY!” Charlie cheered, having little choice but to eagerly accept. He burst out into a forced giggle as he began clapping and kicking his legs. Casper chuckled as she gave a casual shrug. “What’s the harm?” she asked rhetorically as she circled her wrist in the air, closing the distance as her eyes dropped to Charlie as she smiled a bit too widely at him. “Our special Little guy is already getting special treatment; I see no harm in a little more.” “Special Charlie!” he bubbled as he held up Rascal, and Casper looked quite pleased with this response. Enough that her face turned a bit pinker and her pupils dilated. “Well, actually, I have a few errands,” Kelly fumbled awkwardly as she thumbed back towards the car over her shoulder. Charlie jerked towards her, shocked she would deny at first, but it made sense when he gave it more than a few seconds’ thought; it wasn’t that she didn’t want to be separated from him, it was that she didn’t want him to be subjected to, or her to witness, the conditioning of Littles. “And - I - promised Greg I’d help out with Sam, so –” “Sam?” Casper had jumped on that very quickly, her eyes snapping to Kelly and her eyebrow arching curiously. “Oh, uhhhh,” Kelly laughed awkwardly and winced. “She’s my, uh… uh… noose!” Charlie explained as he threw his arms out to his sides, needing to say something lest he give away his own internal wincing. He had little doubt Casper would try to get Sam in here as well, now. “Niece,” Sarah chuckled. “Nice!” he corrected with a smile wide to the director, who once more looked hungrily at him. “She’s a bit, um, well –” Kelly started, her eyes dropping to the floor as she wrestled with how to phrase it. “She’s a DLS code pink, Director,” Sarah cut in with a professional and authoritative tone. “She needs to be in isolation for about a month before Greg can consider school for her.” “Ahh, yes,” Casper nodded knowingly, and her disappointed frown was hard to miss. “Understood.” “Well, thank you for the offer,” Kelly politely declined as she inclined her head and turned to Charlie, a twinkle in her eye. He smiled, hoping she could read the gratitude on his face. “Have fun, Choo-choo. I’ll see you in a few hours, and –” She paused to lean forward, kiss his forehead, and poke his nose as she winked. “Be good.” Charlie’s smile widened as he grabbed Rascal’s paw and waved. “Charlie will be good!” he promised on behalf of the raccoon.

Oh what a tangled web we weave. Gabby still can't help but work her main hustle in, even when making amends. Also the b plot (c plot? How many plots does Gabby even have going) of both Gabby and her coworker not realizing they are in the same circle is still funny. Like someone is going to have to tell one of them at some stage. If anything this will be a plus for both of them.

I have IBS-C so messing can be difficult. I still need to get used to it.  I recently started taking miralax in my coffee every morning so I can get my body on a routine, and I'm currently sitting in my wet and now messy night diaper.