Baby Talk

Yaaaay Rings survived!!!!  cuddles her own rings plushie

I knew Beth will stay!! ☺️  Told you that wasn't a cliffhanger ... 🤣😤 Nice calm chapter ...  I feel we will have a few of them for a while ... until another shoe drops ...  For the future i still believe, that it will be Carly who will stay ... either by choice or circumstance ... I was worried about Rings here ... hopefully it was shown she is okay ... 

Daniel's journey has only just begun. I have many more ideas in mind, but they are not yet fixed, and sometimes the story takes unexpected turns — even for me. I continued with the next chapter, but since I was on a four-day trip myself, I couldn't finish it. Maybe I can write some more later today. And maybe I even meet some of your suggestions 😁

While this chapter finally made me feel a little uneasy with Harley. I’ll still be her #1 fan. Maybe she’s just into Abdl. And if she is who are we to judge ya no!  (Please don’t be crazy  Harley I’m rooting for u girl 😅). Also yeah Amber your a bully girl! Ya big doodoo head. And it was small but the description of Lilly on the phone with Paul was very cute. I love how they r growing tighter as mother and son. 

Chapter 204: Fate’s Ticking Clock I LOOKED UP at Beth and worried about her response either way. I wanted her to be safe, so going back home to New Haven would be a much safer bet… but that would mean not having her around anymore… “I’m staying,” Beth said. “Mom, Dad, you’ve already bought a house so Mom can be here and babysit me. We have the marshal team… and I’m sure Nikki will soon be back up to watch me. I am not leaving until the semester is over.” Her mom sighed, “I figured that’s what you would say. Why do you have to be as stubborn as your parents?” Beth giggled, “Ask them?” “Okay, so what does everything going on mean for the girls then?” Addison asked. “For now, they have a week off from school,” Aunt Megan said. “What about Carly? Does she have to go back to the nest?” Beth asked. “That’s a good question,” Grandma responded. “We’ll figure it out over the weekend, I hope.” “It would be nice never have to go back there,” I sighed. “Even though I feel bad then if I leave Reila and Mia on their own...?” “Well, at least I would assume it would be less like a daycare, now?” Grandma replied. “I just don’t know what the university is going to do. The level of damage to Littles and Tweeners is bad…” “What about the people who were arrested?” I asked Aunt Megan. Aunt Megan nodded to my uncle and replied, "They’re keeping pretty close-lipped about them. The little bit I was able to get out of some of the investigators is that the ones in the office with you were pretty beat up. Marshal Morales is apparently in the worst shape, but no one is talking…?" “I wonder if they had one of those failsafes injected in her? Or whatever it is they do?” Beth asked. “Some of the attackers at Amanda’s last night had them, right?” Grandma grimaced, “Apparently so, I’m not sure that anyone will ever be able to confirm one-hundred percent the masterminds behind that attack.” “Well, from what happened in Shapiro’s office, I know it was Venture…” I felt a bit bad, “And people who used to work for SafeFoods…” Addison’s shoulders deflated, even as she sighed, “Do you think my mom is behind this? I mean, it should be impossible with her in prison… I wondered after Aubry, but now…?” Cameron looked up at her. "It should be impossible, but prisons still allow guests, even for those rejuvenated prisoners. They have to let attorneys visit, so she can reach the outside world that way. Does she still have access to money and power, though?" Addison shrugged, “It wouldn’t surprise me. I want them just to get her final treatment finished… as much as she deserves to have suffered the babying treatment she did to others, this is in some ways harder on us.” Cameron gave her hand a squeeze, “I can use my connections to do some investigating? I have a couple of contacts that can probably find out if she’s been up to something?” “I think it’s time to use them,” she said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she was involved.” “Assuming it was her, what can she do now? Everyone has been arrested, or scattered?” Beth asked. “Well, they could easily try a third time,” her dad replied. “But I think they can do that part, no matter where you live, honestly. The marshals are going to double your protective detail until the original time expires, and then we’ll see what we can do after that. Nikki was supposed to be bringing on at least one or two other members, too.” "I remember Nikki wanting me to talk to one she'd found," Beth agreed. “So… what now?” I asked. “Well, one, we’re going to have to get clothes for you sorted out,” Grandma said, squeezing me gently. “You’re probably able to fit into a lot of Bella’s stuff, though you’re just a bit bigger than her. You can definitely wear your mom’s old clothes now - though some of that is pretty outdated.” I blushed, “I can’t believe I shrank more!!!!” She squeezed me, “I’m just glad you’re alive. Those injuries would have been near fatal, if not fatal, if you didn’t have those nanites. We just need to keep you from having any more near-death injuries while you’re here!” “I can’t argue that…” I agreed. “I ordered a few outfits and some diapers that should be delivered here in a few minutes,” Aunt Megan told us. “You didn’t have to do that,” Grandma said. “No, but I don’t know when you would have had a chance. We can take her shopping tomorrow for more.” Beth and I looked at each other, “No malls please…” We said in stereo. The room was still for a moment before the ‘adults’ all laughed. “We can go to an outlet or something,” Grandma agreed. “We should be able to be back home on Tuesday, and Bella can make you some new uniforms then. We don’t need to get a ton of things, just enough to get you through the weekend.” “What about if I have to go to the nest on Monday? Shouldn’t I be in a uniform then?” “We can probably find you one of the summer dresses somewhere. Or, I’ll get them just to say you can be exempt while we sort out your status.” I nodded and yawned right then. Beth echoed the yawn, and that seemed to signal to everyone that it was time to call it a night soon. “Let’s take off so you all can get some rest,” Addison said. “We’ll grab dinner on the way to the hotel, and then you can also get rest, too.” “Mom, you can’t have slept much last night, either?” Beth suggested. She shrugged, “No, but I did sleep some on the flight in. Come on,” she stood, and seemed to consider just picking up her daughter. “Can I have just a moment with Carly first?” Beth asked. “Five minutes!” her mom said. “We’ll come over tomorrow. You need some more clothes too, so we’ll just go shopping together.” “Why do I need more clothes? Mine are just at…” Beth stopped. “Oh… all my stuff was okay, right?” Megan shook her head, “Between the energy weapons, whatever they used to break in, and then the investigators… I think you’ll probably need a lot of replacement outfits.” Beth hissed, “They’d better not have messed up anything important!” At that, the device on the desk was turned off, and they left us alone after Grandma helped me to my feet as she sat me down on the ground. “You look adorable in that outfit,” Beth said, shaking her head. I groaned, “I know… Look… I…” She put a finger to my lip as she sat down on the ground in front of me and wrapped me in a hug. “I didn’t care about your height before, and I don’t care now. I love you with all of my heart, and we’re going to figure out a way to make this long-term.” “Huh?” I said, “But…” Right then, she gently kissed me on the lips, “Not an argument from you,” she told me, pulling away. “When everything happened… well… Carly, I really can’t imagine life without you. So we’ll just have to figure this out. Maybe I can get a job in your dimension working for one of the portal agencies?” “Luring tourists here?” I raised my eyebrows. She sighed, “Maybe an embassy?” “That’s probably not all that likely? Probably as dangerous as me staying here?” I told her. “If I stayed here...?” “What about your family?” “Mom… Mom said that she would understand.” “And your sisters? Especially Riley?” “I don’t know,” I told her. “I don’t either,” Beth admitted. “It’s only five more weeks that I’m supposed to be here,” I told her as she brought me into her lap and squeezed me. “I know… I guess – let’s just focus each day at a time? We’ll figure this out?” I nodded and leaned in to her, even as I thought of the one way we could make it happen. “Beth?” we heard before I could even give it much thought. She squeezed me again, then stood up and placed me on her hip. "How much weight did you lose?" she asked. “I think it was at least eight more pounds?” I said. “Well, I guess the advantage with you being shorter is I can just hold you all the time?” She hugged me at the door and said, “I love you, Carly. We’ll see you tomorrow.” “Love you too,” I told her. She sat me down by the door as her parents and their security team left, leaving me with Grandma, my Aunt, and Uncle in the room. We all stared at each other for a long moment, and I wasn’t quite sure what to ask or say to the tall giant family members around me. "What do you want for dinner?" Aunt Megan asked, breaking the silence. Soon, she used their AmeniTea to quickly prepare dinner.   BETH HAD BEEN glad her parents opted for a quick fast-food drive-through stop on the way to the hotel instead of something more elaborate. A burger, fries, and soft drink were definitely not on her list of healthy, but it was comforting to eat something bad after the last few weeks. They carried the food inside to the hotel room, where they ate with Beth cuddled up alongside her dad on one of the room’s couches. As she munched on the burger, just his warm presence made her feel safer. As they finished their meals, her mom gathered up the trash to throw away, and her dad soothingly put his arm around her. “How are you doing, Pumpkin?” He asked. She sighed, “I don’t even know, Dad.” “Are you okay?” “Physically?” Beth asked, then shrugged, “I’m not in any pain at least. I have a feeling I’ll be sorer tomorrow, though. Nikki pretty much crushed me with her body trying to protect me.” “We owe her a lot for everything she’s done,” her mom said, returning. “I keep waiting for her to quit on us,” her dad responded. “I don’t think she really thought there would be this much action…” “There shouldn’t have been,” her mom hissed. “That damn traitor!” Her dad squeezed his daughter tighter, “I’m sorry about that…” “You didn’t hire her?” Beth told him. “Who would have dreamt, though?” “We should have,” her mom said. “Especially after what happened on Susurro!” Beth sighed, “Maybe… I just hope…” “What?” Her mom asked. “I hope it’s done? I mean… they’re either arrested or on the run now, right?” Her dad sighed beside her and seemed to try to pull her in closer. “They are, but I just worry that makes them more dangerous. Are you sure you don’t want to just come home? You can take a couple of months off from school? I bet we can get the university to issue credits for all your classes this semester, and you just transfer to Hamilton in the fall?” Beth sat quietly. “That’s a good idea, Sweetie,” her mom said. She sighed, “I know it is… There’s just one problem…” “Carly?” her dad asked. She nodded. “I really do love her,” she said, looking up at her parents. There were tears prickling the sides of her eyes, and she tried to discreetly wipe her eyes even as she moved a stray hair. Her mom sighed, “You two are too alike.” “Huh?” she looked up at her mom. “You and your dad,” she clarified. “This just… well…” “It’s like I was with you before,” her dad said quietly. Her mom nodded. “So you think I’m being stupid?” Beth asked, feeling angry at the idea. She tried to stand, but her dad just held her. “No, we don’t,” her dad looked at her. “Having been in your shoes… Well, I understand better than your mother.” “And even then… I understand, too. My mom told me I was stupid for loving your father,” her mom added. “So in other words, we’re all stupid…” Beth sighed. “Maybe…” her mom agreed. “So… how is this going to work in the end? You’re down to just a few weeks with Carly in the dimension?” Beth shrugged, “I don’t have a clue, Mom. One of us will have to sacrifice the family we grew up with?” “Does Carly want to go back home?” Her dad asked. “I think so,” Beth said. “I mean… let’s face it? Her world sounds a whole lot better than ours. No one there is worried about being forcibly turned into some Bigs dolly?” Her mom looked a little uncomfortable then, “True…” “Any pluses for here?” Her dad asked. Beth shrugged, “Carly loves the technology. The HoloFilm class has been the place where she has shone. Between her scriptwriting and innate storytelling, combining with the tech…? She could probably make a fortune directing films.” “Only one problem there,” her mom said. “I know… Selegnasol is pretty much where you have to be to be successful.” Beth found herself nodding. “She could screenwrite from New Haven? We even have film productions filmed in the area?” Her dad suggested. “It might be a way… but to be truly successful?” Beth shrugged, “I still can’t believe Charlotte came here?” “That girl is a conundrum and a treasure,” her mom said. “I can’t believe she came to Emerson instead of staying in Selegnasol…? Or even went to school at all? She’s got to be worth a lot at this point?” “I think she said one time that she never had to work again if her mother wasn’t involved…” Beth sighed. “That doesn’t surprise me, her mom is a piece of work from what I recall,” her mom added. “That’s what I get out of her,” Beth agreed. “I appreciate that you both are relatively sane,” Beth said, giving them a smile. “Relatively?” Her dad tickled her side. “So… what do you want to do?” Her mom asked. “I don’t know, Mom. I mean… there’s not a lot of ways for me to go over to her dimension?” “Not and maintain any form of self-respect,” her dad agreed. “Maybe as a member of the embassy staff?” “I’m not a poli-sci major,” she reminded her dad. “I don’t know how I’d even be interesting to them. I’m an engineering major?” “I was a chemistry major?” her dad reminded her. She laughed, “True, I guess. You’re saying I have to go to law school first, though!” “Wouldn’t be the worst thing to follow in your old man's footsteps?” “I’d be more interested in following Grandma Ruth’s,” she smiled. “She’d love that,” her dad said. Beth nodded. “The only other option would be working for Diamond Tours or one of the other companies on the other side?” “They’re pretty much all focused on Little trafficking,” Beth said, shaking her head. “Like Dad said, that wouldn’t work.” “Well, maybe your mom and I can come up with something… If you’re sure you’re in love with Carly, then it’s worth us figuring it out. Even if it takes us some time!” Beth wiped a couple more tears, “Yeah…” she yawned right then. “Anyway, I think you should get some sleep, Pumpkin,” her dad told her. “Yeah,” she said, yawning again. “I probably should. I just wish I had Rings with me,” she told him. He squeezed her before pulling her to her feet alongside him. “I can’t believe you still have her and sleep with her.” “She’s special, Daddy,” she reminded him. “Why?” “She was yours… and you gave her to me…” Beth told him. After another yawn, she found herself moving to the bathroom to clean up and do what she could for a night routine without any of her stuff. Somehow, her mom had found someone to buy at least some pajamas, but unfortunately, they looked appropriate for a five-year-old. Pink, and with butterflies all over them, they were not something she would have picked, but at least they were soft and comfy. As she lay down in one of the beds in the suite, she noted her mom coming to her. “I kind of figured missing Rings would be a problem,” she laughed lightly, “so I had one of the marshals grab her for you.” Beth smiled at the sight of her beloved companion, “Thank you, Mom!” “Of course,” she smiled, “I still remember when you were three and left her one time at home when we went to Grandma Ruth’s… we never let that happen again!” Beth blushed, having heard that embarrassing epic meltdown story a million times. She allowed her mom to tuck her into the bed, even as she squeezed Rings tight to her side, “You couldn’t have had them get me some pajamas from my room?” She asked. “I tried… most of your clothes are pretty much destroyed. Rings was one of the salvageable things.” “That’s going to be fun to deal with… I wonder when I can get in there?” “We’ll talk more tomorrow,” her mom told her. She gave her a hug and kissed her on the forehead like she had when Beth was a younger girl. “I love you, night-night.” “Love you too, night,” she told her. Beth turned over and squeezed Rings tightly to her body, and just wished it were Carly. Just like she wished, she knew how in the world they were going to manage avoiding being separated!   I WAS GLAD after dinner that everyone else seemed to think it was a good idea for me to get some rest. I was grateful that Leelah had a trundle bed, even though it was a bit awkward that Shelby and I would have to share it. Her mom was sharing the crib in the nursery with Meggy, and Ryan was still hanging out on the couch downstairs. Leelah wasn’t nearly tired then, but was being kind enough to come hang out with the two of us in her room after Grandma had changed my diaper, and we were all kind of just sitting on the two beds. I was leaning against the now-even-bigger-to-me Shelby then. I knew I had to look like a preschooler compared to her, even as she wouldn’t seem larger than about an eighteen-month-old to any of the Bigs in this world! She had me pulled tightly into her side with her right arm around me. It was a bit odd to have my slightly younger cousin feel so large to me! “How are you doing?” She asked me. I shrugged, “I guess I miss Beth already?” She squeezed me, “Sorry. I meant about earlier, though?” “Pretty sure I’m going to have nightmares for a while… you?” I asked. She sighed, “To be honest, since I was just shoved into the room, I didn’t really see anything? It wasn’t until I saw Grandpa being cared for that it even felt real?” I nodded. “I’m glad he’s going to be okay. How did he look when you saw him?” “Tired, but pretty much normal,” she said with a shrug. “So… what exactly happened at Emerson? I still haven’t heard the full story?” Leelah looked just as intrigued. I was debating about answering right then, when Grandma came in, “I heard you talking, girls, why don’t you put that topic to bed – along with yourselves – until tomorrow. We’ll find a time you can talk safely.” I nodded at Grandma, realizing she didn’t think it was safe to talk then. “Okay,” Shelby said, instantly getting it. Leelah looked skeptical, but said, “Fine, but you have to promise.” “We promise,” I said. “Now, seriously, I understand if you’re not ready to sleep yet, Leelah, you can come hang out downstairs with us, but these two little girls really do need some sleep?” Leelah smiled, “I had an early morning today too, we’ll be good.” Grandma covered Shelby and me with a blanket before bidding us goodnight and walking out. Even as Leelah was still pulling a pair of earrings from her ears at her vanity, I found myself suddenly pulled into my older cousin's stomach as she hugged me tight, my head resting against her heartbeat. “Sorry, I’m not Beth,” she whispered to me. I laughed, “This is something Riley would do… Thanks.” I felt her kiss the top of my head, even as Leelah turned the lights out and climbed over our trundle bed into her own. “Good night,” she told us. “Night, Leelah,” we both said. For a long while, my mind raced on what the consequences of the last week meant for me. Meant for Beth. And ultimately, meant for my entire family…   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks for reading!!! Please press the Like button and leave a comment! This chapter closes out what will be the third book when I get around to publishing these next completed sections. (I'll probably spread that over the next 10 months or so, would be my guess) Starting the next book was slow last week; I'm hoping for a bit more luck this weekend. I do have another chapter ready, and hopefully will finish the one I’m on tomorrow. I’m going to do my best to stay ahead of you all, but just to warn you - if anything crazy happens in the real world, I may have to pause postings for a few weeks. (Doing my best to not do that!) As I mentioned, I have published Book 1 of this (Chapters 1-73ish) on Kindle and Audible, with an AI-read version. I spent some time going through and editing it as best I could for pronunciation and the like, and it’s pretty decent. (Especially when a human would cost thousands for a project this size!) The best deal if you want the Audiobook is to purchase the Kindle Book, then add the Audiobook for $1.99. That’s available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GDRDWS5P . Thanks to those of you who have purchased or do purchase my books! Your support really helps me out when money gets tight!  Also, if you missed it, I entertained myself with another AI album you can find on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3LuGmXtwo0HXd9yKLny47gSouYSkEzfs . Be warned, they are addictive songs about diapers. I don't think the Amazons left any hypnosis in there... but we are talking our robot overlords being involved here! The tracks themselves can be downloaded on my Discord. If you haven’t joined that, you can do so here: https://discord.gg/3JR4bEsmdN