Baby Talk

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay. I had to shift my plans around at the last minute and today become my day to finish this chapter and edit it. Apologies… but hey, we’re almost at the end, right? And speaking of which, looking ahead… there is another poll out for what I next write. This may be the last one I put out, but for now, the three options as well as the link can be found back in other chapters as well as most recently in chapter 27. And just in case you forgot my method or are new here, this poll will remain open until I post my final chapter… which will be this coming Monday (29 June). To avoid any wishy-washy nature of the poll closing and I post a little later than I would like, I will close it at 11:59 PM EST on Monday night regardless. So, if you care at all about what I write next, you should head over there soon rather than later. Along with the announcement of my next story, future plans will be discussed as well as my thoughts on this story in particular. Feel free to skip all that when it comes up, but I feel I should be honest about some things and lay my proverbial cars out on the table. Regardless… last but not least and as usual, I hope everyone enjoys this penultimate chapter of my story! Chapter 38: Tickling the Beast Afar “Are you absolutely sure about this, honey?” Addy’s dad asked looking at his wife worriedly after she had placed her letter in front of him one morning at the kitchen table in front of the rest of her family. Not even hesitating, Addy’s mom nodded. “Absolutely. I’m going into the office today and I’m hereby resigning as the head of my division at Juventas effective immediately.” She almost seemed proud of the notion at this point. “I’ll still stay on the board… but right now, I am a free agent otherwise.” “But… what will you do?” her husband asked after looking over her letter once more, his face seemingly growing older with stress by the minute. “I support you entirely, but… why this? Why now?” Addy looked at her mom as she paused for a while at the breakfast table. With Warren off at a summer retreat with his friends, the house was relatively quiet, and their mom had been more than a little apprehensive about him leaving for college in August… now only weeks away. Something like this just felt inevitable with all the other changes floating around lately. “You know why, John…” she gravely noted finally after a deep silence had filled the room. “You saw the report last month… and the one the year before… and the one the year before that. We might have tried to make things better, even forming that special group that seems to do nothing… but it’s just as bad when we started. From our products… it’s estimated that potentially a thousand Littles are being regressed every day. And… you know how most of them end up now… It’s only getting worse and… I can’t be a part of that.” John Pepperidge had a good heart, but he was both practical and kept many secrets… especially from those whom he thought they would hurt. Immediately, he looked at Addy and then right back to his wife. “Honey…” His eyes gestured to their daughter. “We’re not alone…” Addy’s mom winced as she saw her daughter. “Oh! Sorry honey…” She took her letter back and shook her head at her husband. “You know the reason, John. I don’t think I need to explain it any further than that. I need to leave the day-to-day at Juventas and find something else… something I can do on my own.” “Maybe help those Littles out that are getting hurt?” Addy innocently suggested after a second or two of neither spouse nor parent saying anything more… despite the matter still being unresolved. There was a silence in the room and while Addy’s dad looked at her in shock, her mom seemed to actually be mulling the idea over… like it had some merit that needed to be explored more. She probably was already thinking about it, but with her own daughter suggesting it, it seemed like more than a passing notion now.   Seeing his wife like that, Addy’s dad sighed and gripped the kitchen countertop before leaning forward and looking deeply at his wife. “Whatever it is you find, dear… I’m with you… all the way.” With the love dn support of her family, Addy’s mom then hugged her husband with a wide smile and gave him a little peck on the cheek in thanks. It was such an innocent moment… but one that, know it consciously or not, would change everything. *              *              * “Dad?” Addy spoke first; her hand having dropped away from her dad’s own hand in shock. “What do you mean… you know where they might be being held? H… how could you know that?” She edged closer to her dad. Their dad sighed and Warren even got closer as well… seemingly just as confused about the notion. “Well… three hours for everything they need to do… plus add in the fact that no one saw anything… four tracks in the ground… it’s a small crew that Juventas has used before that links to the main force that’s housed nearby as backup…” His eyes briefly turned misty in shame or regret… it was hard to tell, but there was definitely a story there. “But… it has to be the contractor wet work group… and if it’s them… there’s only one place they could be.” He sighed and then reached over to his bedside table and after rifling through the drawer, pulled out what looked like a remote car key of sorts… topped off with a large red button on top. Addy and Warren stared at the thing as if it was from another planet. “Everything will be clear in a minute, but… at this point, there’s only one way we can verify all this now… As it is, I think I’ve put this off for far too long.” And without another word, he pressed the big red button. Less than a minute later, Addy and Warren heard footsteps scurrying in the hall. Looking back, their dad just smiled. A few seconds after, a very familiar face to Addy poked his head inside the door. “Sir?” he asked, panting a little. “You called for me? Is everything…?” He looked at his apparent boss and then right to Warren and Addy… pausing on Addy briefly. “Oh…” He winced, stepped inside, and looked back at their dad. “Is it time now, sir?” “Yes, James,” Addy and Warren’s dad confirmed to the Little… the same that had saved Addy’s hide at the parties twice now… most recently after her confrontation with Bouras and then escaping in the service tunnel. “You!” Addy’s shock finally wore off, and she pointed at the Little, apparently called James. “You’re in on this? Who… who are you?” Warren turned to his sister, his face awash of confusion. “Hold it… you know this Little?” Addy nodded her head. “He’s the one I told you about… the one that first alerted me that something was going on with Dad that Littles at Psyche were about to be dosed by a mysterious new drug… then later when I confronted Mr. Bouras at the party, he’s the one who saved me from him and then got me out of there!” “Shhh!” her dad hushed her, looking slightly panicked before he then gestured for the Little to close the door. “Not so loud!” After closing the door gently, James immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out an all-too-familiar anti-listening device and powered it on. “There… now we can talk fully if we keep our voices down. I think there’s some…” A knock was heard at the door, and everyone froze… at least until James snapped his fingers. “Whoops! Sorry about that…” Without hesitation he then went over to the door and let yet another familiar face in. “In my rush to get here, I guess I kind of left someone important behind…” Warren and Addy were nearly tongue-tied when Elena then walked in. She first smiled and waved at the two of them before shooting an angry glance down at James. “James… how many time have I told you…?  No running off without me when we’re so public! You know our arrangement…” James sighed and nodded. “Sorry, Elena. I just… Dr. Pepperidge called me over and I knew what it was going to be about. I didn’t want to make him wait for any news that I had.” Elena sighed and nodded before giving him a quick hug then backing out and looking at him in the eyes. “I understand. Just… next? Can you wait one minute for me to grab my purse before you go running off like that when we’re so public?” James giggled and nodded. “This is nice and touching and all, but… what the hell is going on here?” Warren asked frantically after a moment of the two apologizing. “Elena? Are you… this Little’s… mommy? Or… wait… but why don’t any of us on the board at least know that you have a Little all this time? And… how does James seemingly know so much and even help my sister out?” He shook his head and pinched his nose. “I’m so confused…” Elena and James both smiled like they both had a secret up their sleeves. Elena then shook her head, her smile persisting. “It’s not that simple, Warren. See… I’m not James’ mommy, as you put it. I’m more… his caregiver… case agent… a few other things as well…” James enthusiastically nodded. “I… I can’t reveal everything to you all. Frankly, you would need a clearance for that if we go by the book, but… let’s just say that I’m on lone to you all indefinitely due to the nature of the company on  a broader stage.” Warren and Addy only seemed more confused than before and turned back to their now surprisingly grinning dad. He smirked. “As he said… no need to worry today about who he’s involved with… just know that he’s contracted out to us and has proven his loyalty to us countless times by now… probably more than either of you will ever know…” He paused and leaned over to the side to look at James specifically. “So, after overhearing a little, I’m assuming you have a lead for my family?” James sighed and stepped forward. “I do, sir. I’ve been pulling out the clues that Sgt. Emily took from Warren’s house and I’ve been able to narrow down the field after they were analyzed in the bunker. Cross eliminating and creating a grid pattern of exclusion from them, I believe they are somewhere in eastern West Virgan.” Their dad’s eyes opened wide in horror. “You said, the eastern part of West Virgan… are you absolutely sure about that?” James hesitated but then pulled out a tablet from the backpack around his shoulders. After clicking it on and thumbing through a few slides, he nodded and showed a map. On it, there were several colored circles aligned over other ones and rough patches of areas with uneven borders. “Yes, sir. Narrowed it down within about 1000 square miles out there.” He sighed. “I’m afraid I can’t do more than that. Maybe if I had more resources or…” But Warren’s and Addy’s dad held up his hand and shook his head. “No need. If they are there, I know where they are. I had a hunch before… there’s only so many places they could be taken but this just confirms it.” “Okay, Dad. You told us that before,” Addy pushed, stepping forward now. “But how exactly do you know where they are?” Addy then let her deepest fears take over. Even if it was for a split second, she regretted it the moment the words escaped her lips. “You’re… you’re not involved, are you?” Her dad looked hurt… but ultimately shook his head. “Addy… I would never do that. I know from what you’ve learned recently, I’m not always the perfect man, but I hope you know that about me at least.” He then shifted around in his hospital bed, sitting upright, and sighed. “But back to the matter at hand… what I know… is that they are likely using an old off-site and off the books bunker near the mountains that just so happens to be located about right in the middle of that grid pattern James has narrowed down.” “An off-site location and off the books…?” Warren shook his head. “Why would there be a place like that ever with Juventas? Did you all…?” His implication was clear and if it was any other company, such horrors for Littles or even Bigs would have been a terrible shot in the dark and outright lie… but as everyone was learning, not for Juventas. Their dad suddenly looked ashamed. “It was built a long time ago. When we first started up, we needed fast money, and because the Great War had only ended about a decade prior, we were experimenting with what you all might call potential super soldiers and near bioweapons. The bunker was designed to be reinforced and near undetectable, per the government specs for the contract. And we managed a few batches, but peace came swiftly worldwide within the year after a new discovery in alternative energies and it was shut down… but the bunker remained.” “So why not destroy it?” Addy could understand the initial why of it all… but it felt like an odd thing to have built and then not have it destroyed or placed on their official list of holdings… unless something sinister was still going on there… “Because it is still in use… just not something regularly. Mr. Allen goes there for some of our worst tests and because it’s basically a black site, we hold some of our most highly sensitive files there.” He paused and smiled for only about half a second. “Frankly… I think my knowledge of the place was one of the few main factors in my favor for why Bouras or Drakos never fully came after me all these years…” “Sir…” James had been quiet since he revealed his narrowed down map. “If this is true, why haven’t you brought this to the attention of the bunker group?” All eyes switched back to John Pepperidge right away. “Because knowledge isn’t everything with something like this,” he explained. “I know about it and the old board does… but only maybe twenty or so more people other than that know about it. If it was ever assaulted or revealed to the government, the old board would know quickly that it was me.” He paused and anger flashed in his eyes. “But now… they’ve crossed a line.” “Sir?” James stepped forward. “Are you saying… are you saying that we are a go for Operation Swallow?” He almost seemed giddy about the prospect. Despite being confused about what that was, both Addy and Warren looked back at their dad. Smiling, he nodded. “Execute the order, James. I want my family back.” *              *              * Five hours later, Addy and Warren sat in the rear of a Humvee with James and were bouncing along a dirt road, several other members of ABI, various Little operatives, and even a few loyal officers under Emily from the police were with them or in other following vehicles. Neither sibling spoke much but both were likely just surprised at how fast Operation Swallow had come together. Stemming from an initial desire for John Pepperidge to save his wife or even himself when their wealthy nearly tripled overnight when the company went public, it soon evolved into a safety precaution for their children, or in this case, their children’s families. Essentially using a speed dial of sort, several entities were already lined up and ready to go within hours. Now, the call had gone out and various entities that owed John Pepperidge a favor or just wanted to fight for the right cause, had now amassed with the proper funding and equipment to operate with or without sanction to any location that was required. A judge might have a problem with the task force… but no one was on the level around here anymore of prioritizing the law… only the safety of those kidnapped. “It’ll be okay, Ads,” Emily tried to reassure her friend after Addy tensed when the vehicle hit yet another pothole. “Everyone here has trained for this potentiality. For most, they always thought it was going to be you or Warren. But your Little, and your wife and Little, Warren… it makes no difference to them. They just want to right a wrong…” Addy sighed and nodded. “No, I know that. I just…” She wrung her hands together. “I just hate these back roads and I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop…” “Emily patted her on the knee. “Try to think like that. And besides, if everything goes right… it should be over in less than ten minutes…” The vehicle hit one last bump and then slowed to a stop and Emily perked right up. “Okay! We’re here!” In ten seconds, the vehicle was empty as Warren and Addy were the last to leave to listen to the conversation occurring just in front of them. “Okay, we’ve arrived at our checkpoint and fallback position in case it all goes to shit. From the maps we’ve been provided, we should be just west of the main road and only about 70 yards from the main building,” the lead agent from ABI and the point man for the operation announced. “We’ve already begun our hack into their system remotely and have looped the first two cameras. The next two cameras will be paramount to allow us to begin our second hack. This phase will ensure our success to disable both the electric fence, the locks on the doors, and the turrets in place by the main entrance. If they see us before then, Team 3 may have some difficulty performing their assigned mission…” Addy gulped and grabbed Warren’s hands. He comforted her with a squeeze back, but briefly looking at her brother, she could tell he was nervous too. “But if the hack is completed, we will just need to move through the corridors… Team 1 from the south and Team 2 from the north,” the lead agent said with a weariness… likely from knowing that plans were a good thing but almost always failed a few minutes into most. “From our intelligence, there should only be 20 or so guards and the hostages will be in the bunkrooms. They are the priority. All other considerations are secondary. Am I clear?” Everyone nodded, fully understanding the risks involved… and accepting them, nonetheless. “Perfect. Data retrieval is secondary priority… Team 2 will go after these points if Team 1 reaches the hostages first.” He then cocked his assault rifle. “We go hard and we go fast,” the lead agent continued. “You get hit… call out and get to the rear or call out ‘angel’ if you need evacuation and are unable or cannot find others to help. But… I’m sure you’ll all do perfectly. Just keep calm and remember what we practiced… and I’ll see you on the other side. Good hunting!” Every member in the team then clacked their rifle… a motion done to keep noise at a minimum but to acknowledge as well. “Hey you two,” Ada from LRG called over as the three teams moved out and disappeared into the foliage ahead of them. “Come sit with me and the other non-combats.” She gestured over to a monitor feed from one of the agents from ABI and another from a member of Emily’s police force. “We should see and hear everything from here.” Warren and Addy silently nodded. Addy wanted to go with them. She felt so powerless out here, and from recent events, it was becoming an increasingly unfamiliar sensation for her. As a board member of a major company, she had power. With little justification, she could push for millions of Littles to develop a thumb sucking habit overnight practically on a single whim of hers. That was power. Dangerous and scary and Addy never utilized it so readily… but that notion was still there in the back of her mind. But she didn’t push. Unlike the rescue of Patrick and Cara the previous year, the three teams would be assaulting a heavily reinforced bunker with turrets and armed personnel in place. Even with their plans and a way to knock out their security system, it would still be a risk and Addy knew that, even if no one else raised a fuss or told her ‘No,’ Emily would have done so in a heartbeat. Within thirty seconds of the siblings sitting to watch, an explosion went off. “Breach! Breach!” one member sounded off. “Get that hack!” the lead commanded from Team 3 assaulting an access station to the east of the compound. “We need those turrets down!” Gunfire could be heard in the background. “Ah!” one member of LRG shouted. “I’ve been hit in the leg!” “Little down! Little down!” a panicked member of LRG announced. “Getting them out. Be ready. Hit on leg and bleeding quick!” A nearby medic radioed in back but stay put when codename ‘angel’ wasn’t announced. “Roger, LRG. Standing by with assistance.” Addy clung to Warren tightly. Now, people were getting hurt for them. As a board member, she knew her job sucked sometimes… but this was different. These were smiling faces she had seen not more than a minute prior. “We’re in!” a member of the APL called out to his team. “Virus taking over and… done! System corrupted and the turrets should be going down… now!” Already, even over the occasional gunfire nearby, the more continuous but distant near sawing of gunfire died off. “Move! Move! Move!” the lead agent commanded. “Take ‘em down! Take ‘em down!” an agent from the ABI shouted before a burst of gunfire and an explosion could be heard int eh background. Meanwhile, the two feeds in front of the support staff and the heads of agencies and the various organizations present remained in chaos. Large flashes emitted and burst, causing a second of whiteout… before resuming with gunfire from the rear and the front. “Team 2… I repeat, Team 2 has breached the front door on the north side,” another agent from the ABI announced, panting a little. “Team 1 has breached the back door on the south side,” another member noted quickly followed by some static. More gunfire… some static but absolutely more groans and yelling and explosions… then nothing. Addy stood up, her finger and toes feeling like they were prickling from her ragged nerves. She wanted a report on Oliver or Julia or Jakey. Something… anything. ‘I just need to know.’ But she stayed quiet and watched… and waited for any news at all. “Team 2 incoming… Team 1 communications cut off in their section of the compound,” an ABI agent noted. “Team 2 has secured the file room. Team 1… I repeat, Team 1 has secured the hostages.” “Yes!” Almost everyone jumped and shouted for joy as the main radio operator on this side called back with acknowledgement. Five minutes later, Warren and Addy were both escorted inside the compound. As they passed, Addy saw the wounds of and ABI agent’s arm that had been grazed after entering the compound… but she also saw the first LRG member that had gotten shot in the leg. As a nurse she wanted to treat him… as a Big that just wanted to see Oliver again, she wanted to cuddle that Little close and tell them, ‘Everything is going to be okay.’    But Warren held her hand firmly and pulled her along. Getting to the entrance, several scorch marks appeared on the concrete and small patches of blackened and smoking grass lay strewn around. The ABI agent escorting them clearly saw the horror-stricken looks at the chaos here. “This is nothing… you should see Team 3. It was obviously the priority spot for security here. Used large explosions. Another five minutes… it might have been bad.” Addy winced but said nothing as she was led further into the compound, the old structure swallowing her whole. More bullet and scorch marks lined the hallways as Warren and her strolled through them being led by the ABI agent, explaining several pain points along the way. Unfortunately, there were some pools of blood and several rounds of ammunition spent, but there were no fatalities. Addy was happy for that… but simply ecstatic when she heard a few familiar giggles nearby. As soon as she entered the far room, she saw a medic checking over Oliver, Julia, and Jakey. None seemed too the worse for wear, but as soon as Oliver saw her, he bolted out of his chair. “Addy!” In a second, Addy scooped him up, hugged him tight, and began to shower him with everything from light pecks to big old smooches. “Oh, honey! I missed you so much! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did those bad men hurt you?” Without even letting him breathe or get a word in, she turned to the medic. “So how about it, doc? Is he okay? Did they do anything to him? Track marks? Woozy state or slurred words or…?” “He’s fine, Ms. Pepperidge,” the medic confirmed reassuringly and quickly, nearly interrupting her. “Checked him out myself. They’re all okay. And frankly… something tells me that because they didn’t use any of the tools in this compound, their captors had no intention of ever hurting them… just you all by their absence.” “He’s right, Addy,” Warren concurred after deeply hugging Julia and then holding Jakey tight against his hip. “Look around… this place was designed for our monsters to be caged. And you saw Dad’s files. This place has some of our worst objects that Juventas has ever devised.” Emily then stepped into the room, her tactical vest still strapped on. “And we took about 18 prisoners. All contracted out… no Juventas personnel. The board clearly wanted this off the books.” “I agree…” Assistant Director McCormack from the ABI popped in. “Something tells me that this group is paid for their skills but also their discretion as well. We have already started the process… but they might all be dead ends unfortunately.” “I want to see one…” Addy finally said, seeming more like a statement than a question after some debate with what to do with them now. “Addy… I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Warren warned while Julia, Jakey, and Oliver were sent out of the room for some quick tests just to be absolutely sure they were okay. “He’s right, Ads,” Emily agreed. “It will just lead to more problems and…” “I said…” Addy took a step forward and without Oliver in the room, she looked about as twisted and determined as she could. “I want to see one.” Again… not a question but a statement. After that, no one really could disagree with her. Assistant Director McCormack agreed as well, probably hoping that she would either throw them off or reveal more about what was happening around here and maybe even their motives or an unintentional secret. But as soon as Addy entered the room with one of the more senior ranked operatives here, he smiled. “Wipe that smirk off your face,” Addy said coldly, completely ignoring any sense of communion between them. His smirk only grew though. “But how can I? I’ve been questioned now since they captured me, and now I’ve been brought the one person I actually want to talk to.” He seemed desperately trying to hide an accent of some kind. Addy stepped forward, a look of confusion growing on her face. “You wanted to talk to… me?” “Well, you or that brother of yours. Either one would have worked.” He paused and his grin sent away as he looked off into the distance. “It’s just… I was given explicit instructions if I was ever caught. Our group always is. For one of our groups over in Honshu… that meant never getting captured no matter what. All dead now after a mission went sideways. For me though? It was to talk to you…” “That still doesn’t answer my question.” Addy was trying to put on a brave face, but she felt that the old board already knew everything. “Well, simply put…” He took a deep breath and seemed to chew a piece of gum for a second before continuing with an expression of wickedness and a sinister foreboding. “Mr. Drakos told me and the others to tell you that they are coming, and that you might save them today, but… all of you will never be safe.” He then smiled… and showed a single tooth, which he bit. Poison seeped out and in three seconds, he was dead. “No!” Addy rushed over, despite her brother temporarily trying to hold her back. But her nursing instincts were too strong. She couldn’t help with the rescue or even with the two outside that had been shot. But this… she could help with this. “I need Poison-Gone! Does anybody have it? Or… what about HB678P? Should work as well.” Silence. “Anyone?” Emily bent down and placed her hand on her friend’s back after a moment of no one moving an inch. “Ads… Addy… Addison.” Addy stopped hearing her name like that and turned to her friend. Emily smiled. “You need to stop. He’s gone… and you know it. He bit that capsule in his tooth. Should have caught it… we’ll check the others. But… he was gone in three seconds. That means he hit one of the major ones. Fast because it’s powerful. Poison-Gone works for 90% of poisons but not that and the other…” “The other you need to apply within three minutes for 50-60% of poisons until the healing may diminish greatly,” Warren added before looking the body of the dead guard. “It’s almost been that time now. And even then… It wouldn’t be enough…” Addy sniffed and resignedly nodded. “Yeah. I just… I didn’t want to lose someone today because of all this stupid mess.” Within an hour, their forces had completely secured the base and had installed anti-listening devices in every room… just in case. Now, there was a conference between the heads and main members of the bunker group. “From the deceased guard’s warning and collaborating with the others post poison tooth capsule, confirmed the same story,” Emily noted. “Drakos and Bouras know something is happening. They seem to verify a lack of knowledge about our recent activities… but they will be powerful and unstoppable within a few months within the company.” “And so… should we consider this matter closed with this facility at least?” Co-chair Hutchinson from Littles Liberation Front and Little Protection League asked from the other side of the conference call screen. “I for one don’t want to linger in that place any longer than we have to…” “My agents are sweeping the building now for any information. Most of it that we’ve found so far would be enough to send the old board away for life,” Assistant Director McCormack from the ABI noted, stacking a pile of paper in front of him. “Data analyzation will take a month maybe with current manpower… but retrieval can happen within five days.” “Then it’s settled. The team here will stay and gather intel. Those of us not close by will enact our own plans.  Those not here will reach out to their contacts,” Vice President Wilkins from the APL noted without hesitation. “We will reconvene within a week. All agreed?” “Agreed,” the board announced together. The process for data retrieval was of the utmost importance, and most were starting to believe that Assistant Director McCormack from the ABI was actually underestimating the time it would take to decrypt and analyze everything. But someone seemed restless. Addy had once worked through the night and always sacrificed for her job. Countless hours made her the best and she always rationalized the next new inconvenience or even struggle as being ‘part of the job.’ Now though, she felt life was more precious than ever before. So, despite Addy being yelled at by the others to stay and deprioritize this… she didn’t. Instead, she tended to her Little and scooped him to go by themselves for a little bit. Looking back briefly, Assistant Director McCormack from the ABI seemed perplexed and equal parts furious… but Warren was quick to snap back. And despite his insistences that he was ‘fine,’ Addy didn’t believe him. A minute later… she was proven right. Ther was something on his mind… “You know… I think I’ve come to a decision here. And… well…” Oliver twisted in the dark side room of the compound as he spoke first between the two of them. His looks swam in a jumble, and Addy couldn’t read him at all. ‘Shit, shit, shit.’ She began to panic. ‘I knew as soon as he was taken, Oliver would see the bad side of all Bigs, and he would never be able to come back with me to who we were before all this.’ Still, Addy was his caregiver, and she knew she had to be there for him no matter what. ‘Even if he’s about to tell me that he actually wants to go back to Earth after his time up here…’ “It’s just that with everything going on, I truly felt scared that they would hurt me… or even hurt you to get me to talk,” he confessed. “And while that never happened, I was still scared. That fear was real and I can’t just ignore it anymore…” Addy encouraged him gently, a momentary pause where he seemed so small and nervous. “Go on…” Oliver nodded and put on a brave face before even puffing out his chest a little. “I was thinking. I was talking to Julia and Jakey, and I realized just how many names… titles you have. Nurse… caregiver… college grad… division head… board member… daughter… sister… And, well, I…” He stopped and took a deep breath before looking at her directly. “I think you’re missing one more…” Addy felt the world pause for a moment right then… her soul almost feeling like it had just rushed out of her along with all the air in the room. ‘Oh no… they did something to him. He’s changed. I know what he’s about to say. He would never tell me this… he’s not regressed!’ She wanted to tell him ‘No,’ but she just couldn’t. As much as she had been dreaming about this… it also now filled her with dread that something more was wrong. She felt like she had to stop him before he said something he could never take back. “You know… you don’t have to do this if you don’t wan…” Oliver stopped her and shook his head. “No, this is me. I feel it in my whole body. I’ve felt it for a long time now… I just didn’t have the guts to ask… but now I do.” He took a long and steady breath before looking back as deeply as he could at Addy. “Will you… will you be my mommy?” Despite anticipating it, Addy nearly toppled over backward.

I failed at checking back. There is a new Five Star and more being built.

Kate decides it's simply too nice of a day to stay indoors despite Richy's objections.  ---  I am only able to write as much as I do thanks to the generosity and support of my subscribers. Writing is my only source of income and it is because of these people that I am able to do that. It allows me to keep the lights on and puts food in my fridge. My subscribers get early access to all my stories, and access to around 30 EXCLUSIVE stories that are only available for my subscribers along with other benefits. If you are interested in supporting me and getting these benefits please consider checking out one of my subscriber pages. Thank you ❤️  https://reamstories.com/elfy https://subscribestar.adult/elfy ---  For a while they played in the playpen. Kate creating the story and Richy going along with it. To start with he was reluctant to add anything to the plot that Kate was pushing, but over time he started forgetting himself and actually playing. It wasn’t too long before the story they were acting out became real within his head, where he could see the events as if they were an epic action film. Richy started taking over some of the story, eventually culminating in his mysterious ninja defeating the skeleton. Kate gave the evil wizard one final monologue and then spluttered out some death sounds before finally laying the doll down. “You did it!” Kate said excitedly. Richy blushed furiously. With the end of the game, he seemed to come back to his senses and realised just how into the game he had got. He looked away. He hated when he did anything that showed that the Designation Office had perhaps been correct in putting him where he was. He put the little ninja down and drew his knees up against his chest, inadvertently showing off just how wet he had become over the course of the game. “You know… some would say you were lucky.” Kate said as she picked up the ninja and turned it idly in her hands. “Yeah right.” Richy mumbled around his pacifier. Somehow it always seemed to end up back in his mouth when he wasn’t paying attention. “I’m serious.” Kate continued, “A lot of people would love having no responsibilities.” “And no future.” Richy replied sulkily. “You have a future.” Kate said as she reached forwards and put a hand on Richy’s knee, “A future of being loved and looked after.” Richy turned himself away. It was a future he didn’t want, not in the slightest. He let out a deep breath and bit the bulb of the pacifier. He knew his sister was likely trying to be supportive, but it wasn’t going to work. He didn’t believe for a second that anyone, his sister included, really saw his position as in any way enviable or good. He heard Kate sigh and stand up; she looked out the window with her lips pursed. “It’s too nice a day to stay inside.” Kate finally said, “Come on, let’s go play in the garden.” “No, Kate…” Richy whined, “I want to stay in here!” “You’re forgetting who is in charge.” Kate said with a smile. She leant down and touched a finger to Richy’s nose, “Trust me. It will be fun.” Richy wanted to argue, to beg, hell, to throw a tantrum if it meant staying inside and away from the prying eyes of the rest of the world. There was nothing he actually liked about his position, but there were plenty of things he wanted to avoid as much as he could, and being out in public in any way was a big one. Kate left the playpen before Richy could make any kind of argument, as pointless as it would’ve been since, as she said, she was in charge. He could only wait in his playpen as he watched Kate go out into the front yard. She was gone for a few minutes, and Richy was tempted to stand up and try to see what was going on through the window, he knew it was against the rules though. If she caught him, she would be allowed to punish him. Whilst three years ago, Richy would’ve pushed his limits and practically dared his family to punish him, he now knew better. He didn’t want a sore butt. It wasn’t like Richy had to wait long regardless. Kate took one trip upstairs and then came down in an outfit that made Richy’s eyes pop out of his head. It seemed like something more suitable for the beach than to sit in the front yard. A small bikini that seemed scientifically designed to show off as much of Kate’s curves as possible. Richy swallowed and looked away. “Come on.” Kate said as she opened the playpen’s gate, “Take my hand.” Richy was glad that he wouldn’t be expected to crawl outside at the very least. The grass was fine, but the much harder porch and garden path always hurt his knees on the few occasions he’d had to scamper up them. Richy got to his feet shakily. He waddled along next to his sister to the open front door and stepped outside. He had to shield his eyes and immediately felt the warmth of the day. He toddled, led by Kate’s hand towards a paddling pool set up next to the low wall that separated the yard from the public pavement. “We just need to get you changed.” Kate said as she indicated the towel laid out next to the children’s pool. “Kate…” Richy whined, “Not out here…” “I can’t let you wear your clothes in the pool; mom would kill me!” Kate giggled, “Besides, you need your swim diaper otherwise you’ll absorb all the water.” Kate made a slurping sound and tickled Richy. He danced out of her grip and almost fell over. He was taken to the towel that had all the changing supplies set up and was thankful that it was, at least partially, in the shade of the wall. Diaper changes were always humiliating, but it was worse when they were in public in any way. He covered his face as he laid down and prayed that no one would be walking past on the pavement whilst this all went on. Richy was soon stripped of his clothes and left naked except for his damp diaper. He let out a little whine as his sister’s hands pulled on the tapes and then let the padding fall open. Of the three members of his family who regularly changed him, Kate was by far the least experienced, she’d only done it a handful of times, and it showed in both the time she took and the way she talked herself through each step. “Alright…” Kate muttered to herself, “Wipes… Then new diaper underneath like… that.” Richy’s legs were rolled back over his head and then lowered down again on top of a much thinner feeling diaper. The usual powder and cream were left out, presumably because he was going in the pool. He was left undressed as well, well, almost undressed… “I don’t need those…” Richy whined when he saw Kate pick up a pair of arm floaties and start blowing one up. “Mom insists.” Kate replied in between puffs of air. “It’s really shallow!” Richy gestured to the pool. He didn’t think he’d be able to drown in there even if he wanted to. “Besides, you look so cute with these on.” Kate smiled as she slipped the floatation devices on to Richy’s arms. Richy sighed. He looked down and saw the swim diaper he’d been put in. It was a dark blue in colour and had cartoon images of all sorts of sea creatures. He knew the swim diaper would do very little if he peed, when he peed might’ve been a better way to put it, the real reason for him to wear it was in case he went number two, something that was almost too humiliating to think about. “Alright, you have fun splashing in your pool!” Kate said as she patted Richy on the butt a couple of times. Richy scowled in response but accepted her hand so he could toddle over to the paddling pool. The pool was a light blue with white trimming, floating on the water within was an assortment of toys, some of which came from the bath and others from storage that he had last seen on their last family trip to the beach. The water felt a little cold, but it was pleasant in the otherwise warm day. Richy’s hand was let go and he saw Kate walking back across the garden to a sun lounger a few feet away. She sat on the edge and gave him a little wave before lying back with a book. Richy slowly lowered himself into the water He shivered as his waist submerged and the water level rose on his body, it was particularly noticeable around his diaper area where it felt like everything he had down there might’ve been shrinking and hiding inside his body. Richy’s butt hit the ground, and he was left sat in the water which didn’t quite reach his belly button. He looked up at the wall next to him, he could easily see over it to the quiet road beyond, which meant that anyone else would easily be able to see him too. Indeed, he’d only been in the pool a few minutes when the first people walked by a young couple pushing a child in a stroller. They looked over at Richy and smiled as if seeing an actual kid playing and having fun. Richy looked away but didn’t miss hearing the giggles from the young mother. Richy didn’t really know what he should’ve been doing. He looked over to Kate who was only occasionally glancing over, presumably to make sure Richy was still safe, but otherwise enjoying the sun. As he looked over at his younger sister, Richy felt a small toy boat bump into him. Normally it was something put into the bath when he was in there, but out in the paddling pool there was a lot more room. Richy gave the back of the boat a small push and watched it glide through the water. It was actually quite mesmerising in a way. “Well, I am meant to play…” Richy muttered to himself, as if he had to justify acting the way he was dressed. After three years of being kept as a baby, Richy had become somewhat adept at switching off his brain and finding ways to have fun with limited resources. For instance, also left in the pool for him was a series of little plastic buckets. Each of them had different holes on the sides and bottom along with funny looking faces. Richy filled one that had a lot of holes in the bottom up and then lifted it above his head, the water poured out like a shower, and he closed his eyes as it ran down his face and body, enjoying the way it felt on his warm skin. There was just a part of Richy that could become engrossed in feeling how different toys felt against him, and in seeing how they moved across the water. As well as the boat that he would occasionally push, there was also a toy octopus floating around and he would push that as well, watching how both things moved through the water, making them race, and finding ways to make his own enjoyment. ---  If you liked this update and want to see the next update RIGHT NOW you can do so here: https://reamstories.com/page/lpjgftb4y2/story/mozb40hx8a1381/chapter/mqxerdyh5abe4f7 https://subscribestar.art/posts/2562532

76. My Surprise Putting up Christmas decorations was a lot more fun with a little one in the house. I suggested to Tess that we could do it together, and she didn’t object. She’d been pretty small when she woke up that morning, and cheerful for most of the day according to Ffrances. So it was no surprise that she was happy to carry on being a little girl later in the day. Not to mention that she’d spend much of the day packing a suitcase, and she was probably in need of a break by now. She was half dancing as we hung up coloured lights, streamers, and weird mobile things to hang all of out cards on. There were presents under the tree as well, all wrapped in bright paper. I didn’t know what any of those were – probably Ffrances had wrapped them up and left them with all the decorations – but they made the house feel just a little more like a family lived here, rather than just a couple of young professionals. The evening was a lot of fun, although it was even more tiring after a long day. But I was glad that we had a chance to do something fun together before she went away. I was just realising that in less than twenty-four hours, Tess would be on the train to the airport, if she hadn’t already boarded a flight to San Lorenzo. I was going to miss her, and I couldn’t help worrying. I could tell myself that by chronological age she was almost an adult, but that didn’t give me any more confidence. I knew that the reason she needed to find her little headspace was that she was still a child on the inside, and she wouldn’t have been able to function as an adult. And that meant that she should still be cared for, no matter how mature she claimed to be. She was my baby, and I didn’t want to think what could happen to her when she struck out alone. But John told me not to worry, and I didn’t want to upset her when things were going so well. She was quite little when we were hanging decorations. She wasn’t dressed like a child, but she didn’t refuse a pacifier, and giggled excitedly when I offered praise for a job well done. And to thank her for that, I didn’t complain when she tried going up the ladder by herself to reach a hook on the ceiling. While we were working out the best place to hang childish decorations in the nursery, I sat down and paid attention to my phone for a few seconds. I sent Tess a message, checking that the contact on my XV address book was the right person. I had my doubts when her phone didn’t vibrate immediately; but I’d read enough of the promotional literature to know that messages could be automatically delayed for five to ten minutes, because some psychologist had said it was less stressful that way. I didn’t know the theory, no doubt Ffrances would talk my ear off if I asked her about it, but I was reassured a few minutes later when her phone vibrated. She smirked at me when she read the message, and I knew that I had a new way to contact her. One that would get her attention the moment she heard the sound, if her reaction was anything to go by. That would make everything easier. The next vibration was from my phone. It was from Ffrances, who had gone to the supermarket to get tofu, milk, and pizza shortly before I got home. She said that there had been an accident because of ice on the road, and she wouldn’t be back for another fifteen minutes. I told her not to worry, and sent her a picture of Tess putting the star on the Christmas tree. I wanted us to feel like a family, and brushing aside the little setbacks helped with that a lot. And I wanted to give her a reason to smile, when she was doing something that must have been stressful. I sent Tess another message before I put my phone away. Testing out the features on this new messaging app, so I could see how she would respond. “You won’t have an accident tonight,” I typed out. “You can be a big girl before your big trip.” Five minutes later her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen, nodded, and put it back on the desk. “Is that okay?” I asked, although I knew right away that I would have been better not asking. “What?” She seemed like she didn’t understand, and then she dismissed the words in a second and went back to what she’d been doing. Like Ffrances had said, she genuinely didn’t remember my instruction. That was perhaps more impressive than the other thing she’d asked to be changed; although I still didn’t know what that was. I waited a few minutes and asked again. I was treading on thin ice here; if she realised I was testing the possibilities, I could be in so much trouble. She could start being stubborn again, and refuse to play along with my attempts to help her. But I had to hope, given that the initial signs had been good. “Was my message okay?” I asked. “I said something on that XV app, to see if you got it.” She picked up her phone, and glanced at the screen. I could see her scrolling, and then she gave a shrug. “You mean saying hello, and asking if I have the delay set to constant or random? If you’ve  sent anything since, it isn’t here. Oh… if you tap the red pentagon, your messages might expire. So if I don’t pick up my phone right away it could be gone before I see it. Was it anything important?” “No, I just…” I was going to dismiss it, but she seemed so natural. I couldn’t believe she was lying to me now, so I gambled everything. Double or quits, perhaps. Either I’d tip my hand, or win the jackpot. “I told you not to have an accident tonight. Like you asked. I mean, you’re responding to my XV emails out loud. So I answered your spoken question on XV. I thought you might think that’s funny.” “I didn’t…” she started, and then her brow furrowed. “I did, didn’t I? Damn. I don’t even remember asking. It makes sense, I can guess why I would have asked you. But wow, I never appreciated before how crazy that could be. The thing where I don’t remember asking, you know?” “Isn’t that only if you’ve been asking too much and we tell you to have an accident?” “No,” she mumbled, and then blushed. “Well, maybe it was. That’s one of the things Ffrances said she wanted to change. Because making it symmetrical makes it easier to accept, or something. For certain personality types, anyway. See, now it doesn’t matter which trigger it is. If you want me to remember, you need to tell me that I know I won’t have an accident. Seems a bit weird to me, but it is what it is. If that’s the way the trigger works, I’m not going to argue. I guess I should have told you about that part, huh?” “There’s more than one part?” “Yeah, another one too. But I think I’m not ready for anyone to use that yet. Pretty neat that it works on XV. That might have been the next thing I asked for, if I’d thought about it. I seriously can’t remember asking you, even though I know I was going to now I’ve thought about it. Hypnosis really is incredible, right?” “Yeah,” I answered with a smile. She seemed so enthusiastic that it was easy to take her at her word. Plus, picking the phone up and putting it down again right away had seemed so natural. There wasn’t even a flicker of internal debate as she read the message; it was just like she hadn’t seen it at all. I knew that the trigger worked equally well over text, and that gave me so much more power. I would no longer need to get her on her own for a minute if I wanted to trigger her, and I wouldn’t have to worry about Ffrances overhearing. “Well, I guess you talk to people online a lot, don’t you? I’m getting more face-to-face conversations since I entered the workforce, so it might not work like that for me. But I bet when you think of a conversation, you don’t distinguish so much between text and voice. Right?” “Yeah, I guess. And thanks.” She seemed cheerful now, maybe a little more excited. A little more childish, even if I hadn’t told her to act like a baby. Perhaps that was just because she was having fun; if she associated happiness with her little headspace, then something that made her feel more comfortable would help her to lean a little more into that space. And when I thought about that, I wondered if Ffrances was right in some way – Did Tess really enjoy getting triggered? Did having someone else take control of the things that she was losing control of push buttons that she didn’t know she had; or could it be just the feeling of safety from knowing that she wouldn’t have an accident that helped her to feel more comfortable? There were too many options there. It could have been that telling her not to wet the bed made her feel safe, or that she was happy that I cared so much about her. But it seemed pretty clear that something in that conversation had perked her up, just a little more than she already was. The decorations were all done by the time Ffrances returned. We were all pretty hungry after waiting for her, but after tearing off the film wrap the pizzas she had brought only needed six minutes in the oven. We watched an awful movie again, though not one of the selection from the 80s this time. It was supposed to be good, and had been hyped to death, so we were all surprised to find cardboard-cutout acting, plot holes you could drive a semi truck through, and an ending where the power of love defeated the evil genius for no obvious reason. But as we shared our opinions, we could all agree that this one fell into “so bad it’s good” territory. “I should get to bed,” Tess said, giving a shrug. “I’ve still got a lot to do tomorrow, and I don’t want to oversleep.” “Good thinking,” Ffrances answered. “Would you like a trigger tonight? While it’s your last night here, and you won’t get a chance for a while.” “No, I’m good,” she answered with a shrug, while I held my breath waiting to see how she would respond. Would she say that she’d already asked me, or mention that she could ask us for help over messenger? “I’ve been… dry for almost a week now, haven’t even asked. Another week shouldn’t be a problem, maybe I don’t need it anymore. I mean, better to know the possibility’s there in case I do, but I’m hoping that in the new year it can be less about what I need and more about what I want, you know?” “If you’re happy with that,” I said, and Ffrances nodded beside me. Tess went off to bed, and a few minutes later we did too. I was still sad, knowing that tomorrow would be the last day I saw her before she left the country; but I was already looking forward to all the festive fun we would have on her return.   77. My Last Day I woke up and stared at the ceiling, knowing that it was the last time there would be a baby in the house for a while. That was slightly sad, but then I heard movement in the room downstairs and I realised that the day had already started. I carefully lifted Ffrances’s arm and slipped out from under the covers. I padded through into my little office before getting dressed, not wanting to wake her any earlier than I had to. I didn’t bother with a fancy outfit today; just a tasteless sweater and old jeans. I took a moment to smile at my girlfriend before I headed downstairs; she might be sleeping, but her smile still brought me a rush of happiness. When I got to the landing, I could already hear Tess’s footsteps at the bottom of the stairs. I thought that she wouldn’t have heard me coming down – I was still treading lightly so as not to disturb Ffrances – so I should check that she had packed everything correctly before coming down for breakfast. I was surprised to find that the door to her room was locked today; the only times I could remember her locking up were when she first started waking up wet and wanted to hide her new interest from us. There was nothing in the room that particularly justified hiding. Most things were in their usual places; the toyboxes had been pressed into service as extra shelves, but I noticed that one of them had been opened since the last time I was in there. Tess’s bed was stripped, her sheets all in the laundry basket. For a moment I wondered what had happened. Had she wet the bed even though I’d told her not to? Had she changed her mind and asked Ffrances again without me noticing, or had Ffrances chosen to surprise her? Or… a thought that made me hesitate. I knew that the drugs she’d been using to make herself pee before we introduced her to hypnosis were supposed to have side effects if overused. That was one of the big reasons I had wanted to take control of her accidents: so that she wouldn’t be endangering her health. But if she’d still been taking diuretics without me noticing, could she have permanently damaged her muscles? The thought was terrifying, it would have meant that all the effort I’d put into helping her admit her little side just wasn’t enough. I walked over to the laundry bag, and found that the bundled-up sheets were still dry. That was a big relief, but I knew that I would have to take more care to ensure it stayed that way. I needed to make sure that my baby stayed happy and regressed, so that she wouldn’t feel the need to experiment with other ways of making herself feel smaller. With that dealt with, I took another look at the room. It seemed more chaotic than usual, but with a kind of underlying order that only became obvious after you started paying attention. There were cupboards and drawers open, and things spread over the floor, which wasn’t exactly Tess’s style. But then I could see that there was a kind of separation.  There was a small cluster of trinkets on the desktop, which I was sure she would want to take with her. Toiletries and accessories, the kind of things that she wouldn’t pack in her bags until she had used them today. And the things on the floor were all something that might have made sense to keep close to hand while she was staying here. Things to take with her, and things to put away before leaving, in two separate piles. Thinking back to my days in university, when every change of accommodation had degenerated into barely-controlled chaos, I had to admit that Tess was more organised than I had ever been. She was putting pressure on herself again, trying to act mature as if it were the only way anyone would care about her. The most important things were in in the centre of her bed, laid in a neat line on the plastic mattress protector. Two suitcases with wheels, a backpack, and a tote bag. All carefully packed, although with enough space left for the other things she meant to add. She had probably packed everything once already, to be sure it would fit, and then lifted the things that she would need this morning out again. I couldn’t even imagine being that organised, and I was sure it couldn’t be healthy. But I knew I could trust her to have everything she needed. Still, it couldn’t hurt to check. Clothes. Her laptop. A whole mess of cables for charging her phone, earbuds, fitness band, and every other accessory she might need. Although I noticed that the cables weren’t a mess; each neatly folded, and with rubber bands around them in different colours that prevented them getting tangled while also providing an easy way to identify them at a glance. I had no doubt that she knew exactly what each colour meant. But it was in her backpack, beneath the laptop, that I found what I was really looking for. Diapers. Or, to be more precise, pull-ups. In case of any overnight accidents. I hadn’t been sure if she would remember to take them. I’d been wondering whether she would be more afraid of them finding out her big secret, or of wetting the bed while she was staying with someone else. It seemed that she had decided to take some, even if it was nearly a week since she had last needed them. I filed away that information; she was starting to find them comfortable now, and wanted an opportunity to wear them more even when I wasn’t there to trigger her. But she had only packed three. I did some mental arithmetic, and deduced that after three nights, she would be feeling pretty confident in her bladder control. The longest she’d gone without an accident since she moved in. If she woke to a wet bed before then, perhaps she would try to buy more locally; but that would be even more of a risk. Did they even sell Goodnites in Europe? I had no idea what was available over there; I hadn’t been one to travel much when I was younger. I was sure she would be okay. This was a vacation for her, and a chance to catch up with family.  I vaguely remembered an older sister from my long-ago babysitting duties, but I didn't know if they were any closer now than they had been. I didn’t want to disrupt their reunion by making her run around an unfamiliar city trying to find more diapers. I would hold off on triggering her, unless she specifically asked for help. I thought that after she’d enjoyed her little space, going back to full adult for a week would be enough to remind her what she was leaving behind. Before I left the room, I made sure to put everything back where I had found it. I noticed that she also had an array of rainbow-coloured ferrets lines up neatly along the top of her headboard… she appreciated the soft toys, even if she was embarrassed to admit it most day. I closed the door just as I heard footsteps on the stairs, converging on me from above and below. “Ah, Tess!” I saw her coming up and waved. “You’re awake then? I knocked and you didn’t answer, I was worrying you might have overslept.” “Lost your sense of smell, pet?” Ffrances smirked. I almost opened my mouth to ask what she meant, but the instant I paid attention I could smell food frying. Bacon, mushrooms, and peppers, if I was any judge. “You made breakfast?” I asked, surprised. And also a little worried about my little girl; she shouldn’t feel like she needed to take on adult responsibilities while she was here with us. But when we got down to the kitchen, I found that her cooking was almost perfect. She really had been paying attention all the times she watched me, and I reminded myself that I could take pride in what she had learned from me. It didn’t matter if she felt like she had to help with things now; it wouldn’t be long before she was a baby again in the new year, and I knew exactly how to help her be comfortable with that. Breakfast was good. Not just because it was the first time Tess had cooked for us on her own, but because she genuinely seemed to know what she was doing. Ffrances and I were both full of compliments. After breakfast we sat around the lounge chatting. I had a half day at work today; I thought that even if I’d been in the office, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything for thinking about my little girl out there on her own. We were all pretty relaxed, and proud of how nice the decorations looked. Ffrances asked if Tess was sure about all the things we’d agreed on for when she came back; double-checking so that we could go shopping for surprise gifts while our little girl was away. We confirmed everything again, to be sure there was no confusion. And although I was worried about Ffrances being forced into regression, there was really nothing I could say. And to be honest, I wondered if she seemed just a little excited about it. Perhaps she wanted to know how it felt before pushing Tess further, and that was a feeling I could understand. Perhaps this wouldn’t be too bad, and I had already promised her that what happened on that day wouldn’t diminish my respect for her at all. Maybe my worries were unfounded. Ffrances would be at our mercy for one day, and would bounce right back. I knew that human minds just didn’t work like that; a dominant personality couldn’t take losing control. But I could tell myself it was all going to be find. And perhaps it would; it wasn’t like Tess was going to do anything extreme. A natural little, she would never be cruel to her little sister. The degradation I’d been through during our first regression day had all been at Ffrances’s hands, or had been the consequences of my own suggestions to her, so it wasn’t like the same would happen again. She would be back to normal, I told myself. Nothing bad could come from a single day. So I agreed; we all said that we were happy with the plan. And unless I could find another little, a willing one, I felt that was about as far as it was going to go. And then Tess was hurrying up to her room, to finish packing her bags and check that she had everything she needed. I shook my head, thinking about how much I was going to miss her. She’d only been here a couple of months, but it already felt like she was a part of our family. A part of my life, even. My little girl. “I’ll miss her,” I said. It was probably obvious. “It’s only a week. Seven or eight days, depending how you count the time zones. But yeah, you will. Me too, it’ll be strange without her.” “You’ll be able to do whatever you want to me, with no risk of interruption.” “Yeah, but did you ever let that stop you anyway?” A few seconds later, Tess was in the kitchen doorway holding up a packet of pills. I wasn’t sure, but I thought it might have been the first time I’d seen her touch my first aid shelf at all. There was a tray in the kitchen filled with stuff like painkillers, bandages, and indigestion remedies, but I’d never seen Tess look at them. In her hand today was a foil sheet half filled with sleeping tablets. She’d probably had most of the box already. “Mind if I take some of these?” she said, confusing me for a moment. It was still midmorning, and I couldn’t see a reason anyone would be looking at those. “What for?” I asked. “You know those are for sleep, right? If you’re after painkillers they’re the red box. I didn’t know you’d been paying attention to where that stuff was.” Ffrances would think I was lying, but that didn’t matter. She’d think she knew why as well. “Yeah, it’s just for the flight. I mean… it’s not anything weird. I’ll be sleeping on the plane, right?” “Yes,” Ffrances nodded, but raised an eyebrow. “You might be sleeping, but you’re not going to have an accident on the plane.” “No,” Tess shook her head. “It’s just… a tip I got from a friend years ago. I take a couple of pills when it’s bedtime in San Lorenzo, regardless of what time zone my body is set to, and set myself an alarm to wake up at a sensible hour. Morning San Lorenzo time. Avoid jet lag by sleeping in their time before I arrive.” “Okay,” I nodded. “You should read the little pamphlet in the box, check how many you need to take. You’re small, so you might only need a half. I think it’s based on body weight?” “I know,” she said. “I’ve taken them before, you know?” “Oh, of course. Just so long as you know what you’re doing. I’m sure we can trust you.” I didn’t take Tess to the airport in the end. The roads would be terrible, coming into the big city. But I could drop her off at Upper Ashfields, right outside the station, and she already had train tickets in her hand. She’d somehow found time to do her laundry, put it on a spin-cycle to dry, and have everything folded and put away before we had to go. I would come back to the nursery in immaculate condition, almost as if nobody lived there. I didn’t know why she’d made so much effort, but it reminded me again of the pressure she thought she was under to act adult. “I’ll miss you,” I told her. “Make sure you don’t have an accident if you’re sleeping on the flight.” “Yes, mom,” she pouted theatrically. “Seriously, I think that’s over now. Will you ever stop teasing me about it?” “Not yet. But I’m glad it didn’t become a real problem. Does that mean I don’t need to restock the Goodnites in your room?” “Unless you really want to. I don’t think I’ll need them again, but if there’s another little staying…” She gave a shrug. “Anyway, I’m not going to have any more accidents. I’m a big girl now, so it doesn’t matter to me.” “Yes,” I said, returning the hug as her train pulled into the station. “You’re a big girl. But you’ll still be surprised to have an accident if you go to bed without protection more than once. Send me a message when you get there safely, okay? I’ll be worrying about you.” “I will. I’ll miss you. See you in the new year,” she called over her shoulder as she walked towards the train door. And that was it; the last time I saw my little for that year. And it had gone as well as I could have expected.

Part Two A small giggle escaped from Stephanie as she imagined the nude irate woman dressed in the childish uniform. She packed the entire uniform into a discarded blue zippered bag and started down the passageway towards her unwilling prey. She clicked down the empty hallway as she prepared a more commanding demeanor. She fully anticipated a conflict at her offering. She smiled again. Occupied with her fantasy she walked directly into Joe's chest as she turned the corner. Rita's bare cheeks felt stuck to the molded plastic chair where Joe had planted her. She adjusted her tiny bottom and observed the dismal security office. The main office was cramped and furnished with a single distressed metal desk. Opposite the desk and to her left was a short hallway. Hal crossed in front of Rita and sat behind the tarnished metal desk. "My school?" Rita trembled slightly. Rapidly she mentally paged through her contacts. Her parents were in Italy with her family's attorney. Her few friends would be helpful but would eventually close her social circles. She knew she was alone. She decided on a new strategy and edged calmly forward as her bare bottom peeled away from the plastic chair. "Look! My name is Rita Donovan. I am not in school, I am twenty-four years old and I live in Long View and your (pointing) man, security guard, whatever, has made a huge mistake. I am not accustomed to be handled in such a..." Frustration swelled as her voice rose. As she began to reiterate her entire story Hal slowly pressed the air with his palm and smiled. Hal had been in charge of the Security department at Nelson's for almost six years. He knew the dance. Rita's fresh face, small body and smooth privates did little to counter his earlier first impressions. Hal paused. Then, without acknowledging Rita's comments he opened the folder on his desk and began a methodical series of routine questions. He only paused twice to sip his lukewarm coffee and after several minutes Rita took note that he wasn't writing. She stopped talking. "So, one more time. What's your real name?" Hal leaned forward. Joe grinned and clomped into the back office. He returned with a big black camera with two lenses. "Okay picture time." Joe sang as he loomed over Rita and snapped a photo. "Stop it!" Rita cried out as she rubbed her eyes and tugged at the hem of the coat. The large shadow of Joe menacing above her instantly transported her to a distant playground. Years of confidence seemed to melt away as Joe comically snorted at the sight of her childish protest. He set the big black camera in front of Hal and disappeared through the doorway. "Relax, he was focused on your face. It's standard. It's for the insurance." Hal ceremoniously tossed his pen onto the newly created folder and leaned back. "Look miss, we're not stupid. We keep a close eye on the floor when you kids come in here. We saw you come in with your three friends around seven. And guess what?" Hal continued sarcastically. "We only spotted three of you leaving. And 'bout thirty minutes ago we got call from Harrington's. So imagine our shock when we see you poking around down there." Hal pointed to the security monitor against the wall. Rita's stomach tightened. They had been watching her. They had seen her moving around naked on the makeup counter. She subconsciously tugged again at the hem of the security coat. As the words "kids", "miss" and "school" tumbled against Rita's mind she shifted back into her seat. Hal smiled at her smooth bare legs. Slowly an idea formed and Rita seductively smiled back. It was the sort of smile that got men into trouble. She then carefully straightened her back and repositioned her legs. Hal casually covered his wide grinning mouth and swiveled away in his chair. He desperately attempted to replace the image of the freckled face teen vamping before him. The room remained silent for a several moments. "So, what was it? A bet, a game?" Hal asked innocently turning back to face her. "I really just wanna know where are your clothes?" "Here they are." Joe announced from the doorway presenting a blue zippered bag. "Oh thank God! Finally!" Rita's exclaimed. "Here!" Joe dropped the bag into Rita's lap as he pointed to the back office "Get dressed." "Thank you." Rita snapped. "And I want your names and a copy of that report when I return." She carefully stood and tugged at the back of the coat. Cautiously she shuffled into the back office. At the sight of her bare cheeks peeking out from under the coat Joe snickered. "How did you find them so quickly?" Hal asked in low voice. Joe cocked his head and thumbed into the hallway. "I ran into Steph. She was bringing her clothes. Oh and seven's okay." Hal nodded and stepped into the hall and greeted Stephanie. "You know who she is?" Hal inquired in a low whisper. "Just one of those girls that comes in here all the time. They're always causing trouble. She practically lost it with me downstairs." Stephanie lied. She was pleased with her good fortune. The nude woman had been further humiliated by being dragged to security. Normally she would be clocking out at this time but the prospect of seeing her dressed in the uniform was too compelling. Hal grimaced and shrugged his shoulders. "Better stay out here then. We don't want to set off her again." "Sure" Stephanie answered hiding her disappointment. Suddenly a loud gasp of exasperation emitted from the back office. "Ooohhh! These are not my clothes! I'm not wearing this!" Rita announced. Hal appeared in the doorway of the back office as Rita stood strategically clutching the security coat to her nude form. "Then go around like that, doesn't bother me." Hal said flatly. "This is a school uniform. I'm not dressing in this. I keep telling you I am not a student! I was downstairs. I went out of the changing rooms..." Rita's voiced diminished as Hal slowly approached and stood over her. Next to Hal's hulking form she felt herself shrink. He paused then spoke in a very controlled manner. "This is all you've got. So unless you want to be hauled off with the police in your birthday suit I suggest you comply." Hal finished. "What? Does this turn you on? Having me play dress up? I'm sure my attorney would love..." Rita was immediately cut off as Hal grabbed her left arm and spun her around revealing her tiny pale bottom. His meaty right hand swiftly landed two well-placed swats on each cheek in quick succession. Thwack! Thwack! "Put it on!" Hal released her. Infuriated Hal stepped away. Rita sniffled. Slowly she lowered the security coat. Her pale skin and small breasts again met the chilled office air. She reached and rubbed both bottom cheeks with her hands. Alone she stood completely nude and pondered her situation. "Some clothes are better than nothing at all. When I'm dressed they'll deal with me more Seriously." Rita thought. She stepped into the plain white cotton panties and pulled them up and over her hips. They were not as snug as she hoped and slipped a little. The white socks were long. Rita frowned as she pulled them up to her knees. She dug into the blue bag and found a soft bra that contained no under wire or padding. It more closely resembled a sport's bra or even a training bra. Unlike Rita's bras that enhanced this bra relied strictly on the shape of the girl. On a well-endowed woman it would not matter but on Rita it flattened her small chest. As she adjusted the garment into place she turned and drew in a large breath. She stared at her distorted reflection in the metal cabinet. Standing motionless in her stocking feet her mouth hung open. The freckles and barrettes, her small pale frame and her deceivingly small chest gave her the appearance of a skinny twelve year old. Shaken from the spanks Rita quickly dismissed the image from her mind and continued dressing. She slipped on the white short-sleeved blouse with its ridiculous Peter Pan style collar. Desperately she searched through the bag but found only the plaid blue jumper. The jumper was basically a pleated short skirt with two large straps of material that went over each shoulder. She reluctantly continued dressing. Attached to the blouse's collar was a secretary's tie. It was a small flat ribbon of material that matched the jumper. Unfortunately it was sewn into the blouse's collar so Rita was forced to button it in the center. She bent down and pushed her feet into the two plain black shoes. Although made for a larger girl they were decidedly childish in appearance. They did nothing to add height to Rita's diminutive stature and were a little loose. She hesitated before turning to the metal cabinet. Its distorted reflection mocked her and she slipped back through time. Hours earlier she had stride confidently into Nelson's dressed in her crisp business attire. Now her nylons had been replaced with cheap white knee socks. Her tailored tan suit was now a polyester school uniform. Even her impeccably styled hair was tangled and childishly adorned with barrettes. Rita shivered at the transformation. "All done?" Hal interrupted. "Hurry up they'll be here soon to take you back." "Back?" Rita questioned. "Back to what?" "Your school. Where did you think you were going? We're not going to file charges. You're underage and it's really not worth our efforts. Besides, I know what kind of school Harrington's is." Hal answered casually. Panic exploded in Rita. Her mind dashed over the evening's sequence of events. She appeared to be nothing more than a defiant child and now she was dressed the part and had willingly participated. She realized that without her ID or purse or cell phone she was stuck as a schoolgirl. Purse... keys... car! "My car is downstairs!" Rita said excitedly. "It has all my information, registration, uh, I can prove I'm not a student." Rita studied Hal's dubious expression. Rita reasoned. "Now I want you to think about this really carefully. If I am who I say I am; and it turns out I am Rita Donovan twenty four years old..." Hal advanced his mind and conceded the obvious outcome of such a blunder. "Joe, go check it out." Hal ordered. "It's a silver BMW. I parked close to the entrance." Rita shouted after Joe. He rolled his eyes and started out of the office. "You better not be lying 'cause if you are, I'm gonna punish you myself." Hal stated sternly. Tingles moved across Rita's panty-clad bottom. She swallowed as she realized he could quite easily make good on his threat. Rita pushed to expel the image of her schoolgirl form flung across Hal's expansive lap as she kicked and squealed. "Would he? Would he pull down her panties and expose her bare butt as Joe watched? Would Joe see her privates as she kicked?" If Joe returned unable to find any evidence of her adult status would Hal really do it? Would Hal spank her?" Rita felt her heart pound. If Joe found nothing there would be no reprieve until her situation was resolved. Obviously the school would be aware that she was not a student but her treatment until that time would be unbearable and most of all embarrassing. A loud buzzer broke the tension. Hal went to his desk and pressed the intercom button on the phone. Rita followed. "Yes?" Hal asked. "Hello, I'm here from Harrington's." a woman's voice crackled through the speaker. "Wait there. I will be right down." Hal said. Hal swung around and roughly grabbed Rita's upper arm. "Please don't spank me again!" Rita cried out as her free hand instinctively covered her backside. Rita struggled as Hal dragged her down the short office hallway. They stopped at a door with a reinforced glass window. Skillfully he keyed opened the door and guided her in approximately two feet then released her. Immediately he walked out and shut the door. Confused Rita stared at Hal through the glass. She ran to the door but found no doorknob. Rita's mind began to crumble as she felt her adulthood slip away. "Keep an eye on her. She can't get out but watch her" Hal said as he passed Stephanie standing outside the door of the office. He dropped a small set of keys into her hand and hurried down the hallway. Stephanie had purposely and patiently waited outside the office door. Now that Joe and Hal had both departed on separate errands she knew her moment had come. It took at least ten to fifteen minutes to escort a guest from the back security door. She also knew that Joe was a straggler and often took longer on his rounds than necessary. Originally she had only intended to humiliate the woman. She had planned to force her to dress in the uniform. Then perhaps tease her and send her on her way. This was so much better. Stephanie stepped inside the security office and shut the door. Cautiously she approached the reinforced security window and savored the image before her. Oblivious to her presence Rita stood in the middle of the tiny empty holding room. She was no longer a portrait of a sophisticated businesswoman. She had been completely transformed into a fresh-faced schoolgirl. She even appeared smaller and younger than Stephanie had remembered. However, she attributed that to her current attire. When Stephanie noticed the freckles dotted across Rita's cheeks and nose she laughed out loud. This instantly drew Rita's attention. "You! You did this. You know these aren't my clothes. You gave them these clothes! They think I'm some (pause) escaped reform school crazy girl. You have to tell them the truth!" Rita pleaded through the glass. Stephanie smirked. "The truth? But you make such a cute little girl." Stephanie mocked as she folded her arms. "I am not a little girl! Why won't anyone believe me? I am not a little girl!" Rita screamed as she stomped her foot repeatedly. Aware of her outburst and its implications she stopped and stood trembling as a small tear formed and rolled down her right cheek. "Well you're certainly acting like one." Stephanie cooed. "Aww, are you crying?" Rita pressed against the window as Stephanie instinctively stepped back. Rita's eyes caressed Stephanie's outfit. She gazed longingly at her high heels and nylons. Stephanie's shapely skirt and blouse only served as a distant reminder of her now reduced status. She calmly tried a new tactic. "Look, you have to let me out of here. I, I have to go to the bathroom. I do. I really do. Please?" Rita pressed her upper legs together twisting her feet inward and pulled down at the hem of the jumper. The illusion of the contrite schoolgirl made Stephanie laugh again. She knew she was being duped. "Why should I? You were really rude to me earlier and now you are getting a little back. I think it's great!" Stephanie said snidely. "You don't understand. They really think I'm some other schoolgirl. They're coming to get me right now and take me away. Please I have to go, at least let me out to go to the bathroom. I'm sorry I was rude earlier. I'll do anything you ask. Please you have to help me!" Rita pleaded tearfully. Stephanie contemplated the situation. She knew the game was ending. Reluctantly she placed her hand on the doorknob of the holding room. Then adopting a clinical tone of authority she spoke. "I'm just letting you out to go to the bathroom. Then we'll straighten this all out when Hal returns." "Thank you. Finally, thank you." Rita gratefully nodded. Stephanie opened the holding room door and in a flash of movement Rita shoved her into the doorjamb. She scrambled towards the office door and with sweaty palms twisted furiously at the doorknob. In Rita's mind one twist of the main office door and she would be restored to her adulthood. Downstairs contained an entire department store of salvation. "Nooo." Rita cried as the sound of jangling keys caused her to pivot. "Locked?" Stephanie stood grinning. "I thought you might try that. I'm not going to get fired over a little girl like you." "Stop calling me that and open this God damn door!" Rita lunged towards Stephanie. Prepared Stephanie masterfully wrenched Rita's arm up her back. She spied the nearby plastic chair, sat down and heaved Rita across her lap. This swift action caused Stephanie's skirt to ride up and expose the top of her stockings. Rita continued her verbal assaults even as she felt her pleated skirt flipped up. Rita writhed across Stephanie's nylon encased thighs until the first swat landed on her panties. The sound of flesh being slapped echoed in the small cement block office. "Owww!" Rita screamed. "Stop. What the hell are you doing? You bitch. Let me go!" Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! "I'm gonna sue you! Just wait till..." Whack! "You going to what little girl?" Whack! Whack! Whack! Stephanie continued spanking Rita. "I'm not a..." Whack! "Ooow! Little girl!" Rita tried to answer. Whack! Whack! Whack! "Have you looked a mirror lately" Stephanie mocked. Whack! Whack! Whack! "Let me up! God damn it!" Rita shot. "Such language. I think these need to come down." Stephanie chastised. She effortlessly whisked down Rita's panties. Rita felt the cool air cascade across her heated bare cheeks. "Noooo. Please don't!" Rita shouted as she attempted to cover her bottom with her free hand. Stephanie observed a slight impression of a large handprint. "Oooh such a pink butt. Looks like somebody's been naughty. Have you been naughty?"  Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! "Have you?" Stephanie demanded. Whack! Whack! "Yes." Rita answered meekly. Whack! Whack! "Yes what?!" Stephanie prodded. "Yes, I have been naughty." Rita choked out. Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! "What are you?" Stephanie barked. "What?" Rita stammered. Whack! Whack! Whack! "What are you?" Stephanie pushed. Whack! Whack! "I'm a naughty little girl!" Rita sobbed. The remnants of her adult mind faded. Dressed as a schoolgirl draped over the lap of a younger woman she was being spanked. She was no longer the haughty heiress teasing men in nightclubs. She was a bare bottomed little girl being punished. Images from her past collided in her mind. Whack! Whack! Whack! Rita kicked her legs and cried aloud "Stop it! It hurts! It hurts! Please let me up! Wait, wait, please let me up! Let me up! Let me up!" Rita panicked. She struggled against Stephanie's powerful hold. Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Suddenly Rita squeezed her legs together tightly. Stephanie stopped mid swat. She sensed a growing warmth spread across her lap. Dramatically she threw Rita off. Rita grimaced. She pressed her upper thighs together while a small stream of urine trickled down her legs and soaked her panties. Rita stood motionless quietly sobbing. Stephanie's lips curled in suppression. She wanted to laugh. "My, my, my and I thought you were a big girl." Stephanie mocked. The smell began to permeate the stale office air. Stephanie looked down at her wet lap and blouse. "Dammit! Come on. Let's get cleaned up. Step out those wet panties." She commanded. Rita complied. Stephanie gathered a small collection of paper towels from Hal's desk. In one quick motion she wiped up the small pool and panties and deposited them all into the wastebasket. She unlocked the door, wrapped her hand around Rita's wrist and led her out into the hallway. Rita followed numbly. Childhood memories of her mother and "talks" in the bathroom swam in her already flooded psyche. After a short walk they entered the women's employee locker room. Stephanie threatened Rita into a low stool next to the washbasins and tossed her a warm wet face cloth. She commanded, "Clean yourself up!" Stephanie studied her own clothing in the mirror. There was a distinctive circular stain that encompassed her mid section. Frustrated she removed her skirt and blouse and placed them in a sink full of soapy water. Stephanie looked down again and groaned. She removed her heels and her black silk underwear and stockings joined her ensemble. Nude from the waist down and clad only in her bra Stephanie crossed the locker room. Rita's eyes followed her more distinctive womanly form as she swiped a towel and fashioned a skirt. Stephanie turned and placed her hands on her hips. Stephanie smiled a wicked grin as she stared at Rita. Rita lowered her eyes.