Leaderboard

Sorry about the wait for this chapter! Here's Chapter 39! Chapter 39: I SAT THERE in the highchair for a moment as I heard Fred’s footsteps pound down the hallway to our nursery. I looked at the harness I was strapped in with and pressed on the buckle release with all of my might. It took several minutes of trying many different ways before I managed to miraculously get the buckle to come loose. ‘Thank God I’m in a baby’s high chair and not a littles…’ I thought to myself as I climbed down. I hurried to the nursery and found that the baby gate was open and forgotten. Fred held a limp Bella in his arms and was moving towards the changing table. “Amanda call 9-1-1!!! Tell the operator she has a very weak pulse and is non-responsive.” Amanda stood there for a second looking lost and confused, “What’s happening to her…?” My phone was sitting right on my desk so I grabbed it and dialed the number myself. “9-1-1, what’s your emergency…?” The operator asked. I looked up to see if Amanda looked like she could talk to the operator, but seeing her in a state of shock, so I took the initiative, “My little sister is not responding. My daddy is a doctor and he said she has a very weak pulse and we need an ambulance to take her to the hospital…” The lady impressed me by not questioning my squeaky high voice, “What’s your address?” I had to think a few moments before responding with the address that I’d needed for some paperwork, “9387 Oak Lane.” “Okay, the ambulance is on its way sweetheart, just stay on the phone with me until they get there. Does your daddy know what’s wrong with her?” I looked up at Fred who was still watching her carefully. “The operator wants to know if you know what might be wrong with her?” Amanda finally snapped out of her stupor then and asked, “Fred… what can I do…” “Go get my emergency bag from the car,” he told her. “I have a crash kit in there. I hope we don’t need it, but she’s breathing shallower.” She hurried out of the room and he told me, “I think she may have been poisoned. I don’t know what form it was. She was acting strange earlier, right?” I thought back and nodded before I relayed that to the operator, “We think she might have been poisoned…” “Poisoned? Intentionally?” The lady asked in shock. “Never mind that, can you give me as much information as you can on your sister?” I told her Bella’s age, height, and weight then. I decided I didn’t know enough about what happened earlier to know if it was the LPS ‘agents’ or not. It seemed likely to me, but I didn’t mention it to them on the phone since I would just be guessing. Amanda came back upstairs quickly with Fred’s emergency bag and handed it to him. I watched as he hurriedly opened it up to find whatever he needed inside. He attached some leads to a small square box, and then attached that to her bare chest. I guessed it must have been some sort of small AED, or heart monitor, as it began beeping irregularly. He grabbed a bag valve mask and placed it on her face, before he began gently squeezing it to help her breathe. From what I could tell she didn’t seem to be improving and Fred’s face looked increasingly concerned as every moment passed. After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only five minutes at the most, the doorbell rang and Amanda ran downstairs to get the door. Paramedics followed her upstairs and assisted Fred in getting her on a small stretcher board. “I think she’s going into some sort of toxic shock. Do you have epinephrine?” I heard him ask as they carried her quickly downstairs to the ambulance. As they carried her I found Grandpa’s number on my phone and dialed it as the paramedics had arrived. “Grandpa?” I asked as he answered. “Stacy? What’s wrong?” “Bella… something’s wrong with her! Daddy thinks she might have been poisoned. They’re leaving with her to the hospital…” “We’ll be at your house in a minute!” He said and hung up. I followed the group downstairs and stood by Amanda as we watched helplessly as they loaded Bella into the ambulance. Fred climbed into the ambulance and they were off a moment later. From what I could tell Amanda just couldn’t register much of anything in her shock. I walked over to her and hugged her legs tightly. Her only response was to reach down, pick me up, and hugged me tightly while she cried her eyes out. GRANDPA JOE AND Granny had to have broken every speed limit, and ran traffic lights, to get there as quickly as they did in their two vehicles. Both pulled into the driveway at the same time. Joe appeared to have come all of the way from the studio since he was still in his gi. “Oh baby what happened?” Granny asked as she enveloped Amanda in a tight hug. She just sobbed for several minutes, “Stacy… Stacy… and I were talking and… she asked if Bella was really okay…” She tried to get her sniffling under control but was failing miserably. “She had a gut feeling something was wrong… I went to check on Bella and she wouldn’t wake up… I kept shaking her shoulder and then found her pulse was weak…” She lost it then and Granny hugged her and consoled her. Grandpa Joe squatted down next to me, “What do you think happened?” I shrugged, “I don’t know… Bella seemed fine for a while… but then seemed kind of sick or tired. She could have just been traumatized from whatever that lady did to examine her… but she didn’t want to wake up for dinner… then she didn’t wake up even later… Something about it just seemed wrong when I stopped and thought about it…” “I’m so scared Mom…” Amanda sobbed on Granny’s shoulder. I walked over and hugged Amanda’s legs and found myself picked up and joined in the crying session. “Theresa, why don’t you take Amanda to the hospital. I’ll stay here with Stacy as they probably wouldn’t allow her into the NICU anyway…” Amanda looked down at me and I could see she was scared and concerned for the girl that had only been calling her ‘mommy’ for a week. ‘I guess the maternal bonding of an Amazon doesn’t take too long to form…’ “I’ll be fine Mommy, go check on Bella. Grandpa and I’ll be fine here,” I tried to maintain a fake smile as I could for her sake. “Come on Mandy,” Granny told her. I was given a squeeze and then handed to Grandpa who watched them leave before bolting the door and carrying me to the couch to sit down. “So really, what do you think happened?” He asked me. I shrugged, “That lady had Bella upstairs on her own before we came home earlier. From what little Bella said, it sounded like she was pretty invasive with her inspection for abuse and a diaper change - inappropriately so. She could have easily put something inside of her then or just used a cream on her before putting the diaper over it?” His eyes narrowed, “That’s probably a good guess… did she have a diaper change after that?” I shrugged, “I don’t keep track, but I think so?” I thought for a moment, “Yeah, she did…” I wrinkled my nose, “Just before dinner it was a poopy one that she was upset about since it was the first one that she didn’t know she had gone…” “Come on, let’s go upstairs and see if we can find the diaper she had on… it would be a good idea to have it checked out.” “We’re digging through the diaper pail?” I wrinkled my nose and groaned as he hoisted me in the air and carried me to the nursery. Fred’s medical bag’s contents were still strewn about the room. He walked over to our diaper pail and opened it up. Amanda used a type of pail that made little pockets in a long plastic wrapper, sealing each diaper in it’s own smell resistant wrapper section as it was dropped inside. He pulled the tube of used diapers loose from the entry spot and began looking at them. “That should be the one, right? She’s a lot larger than you in diaper sizes…” He held it to where I could see the poop stains on the larger sized diaper, I grimaced at the smell that began to escape from the pail, “That’s hers alright…” “I’ll be right back…” he said before he walked out. I heard his footsteps go down the hallway and he came back with gloves, a Ziploc bag, and a pair of scissors. I watched as he put the gloves on, cut the section of wrapped diaper out, and then placed it into the Ziploc. I wrinkled my nose as a bit of poop smeared against the clear ziploc. “I think it would be a good idea to get this to a friend of mine at the police department. They have a good lab and he should be able to test it quickly. Maybe if they can identify the agent they’ll be able to treat Bella better…” Just as he pulled off the gloves his cell phone rang, “Fred, what’s the word? Mandy and her mom left about ten minutes ago…” I held my breath wondering what Fred would say… “Not good then? They can’t identify the poison?” He paused, “Well I have a clue in my hands… it’s the diaper that lady changed her into. I’m going to run it to a friend on the police force. I think they might be able to maybe identify any foreign substance in their lab…?” “Well… yeah I could take her there too while I’m at it… She’d be safe? Or maybe Megan can come pick her up?” I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation and it was making me go a little bit nuts. ‘I need to boost the gain on my hearing or something…’ I thought while looking around my room. I just happened to glance up at the video baby monitor then and smacked myself mentally for not thinking about it before. I left Grandpa’s side and ran back down the hallway to Amanda’s lab, where my computer still sat on the tray of my highchair. I hesitated for a second as it wasn’t the safest thing in the world, but I climbed up carefully into the seat that was a bit above my head, gathered the computer, and then began an awkward climb down. With my computer in hand I ran back down the hall to our nursery where Grandpa was still talking on the phone. “Stay there with her, hopefully the treatment they’re giving her is the right one. You might have Amanda checked for anything too since she came in contact with her when she changed her diaper later? Stacy and I’ll go down to the police station to drop this off and then I’ll drop her off with Megan in her dorm.” “See you soon, love you,” Grandpa said and got off of his phone finally just as I opened up my computer. “How is Bella doing?” I asked “Bella’s heart stopped a couple times on the ride to the hospital… She’s got an erratic heart rate right now, but at least it’s beating. The doctors are treating her the best they can for an unknown poison, but it’s going to be touch and go…” He said before noticing I had my computer at my desk and turned it on. “What are you up to?” I pointed to the two cameras that Amanda had to monitor the nursery, “I think those record…” “Oh…” he said. “You can get into that? Doesn’t Mandy have it passworded?” I gave him a grim smile and then got to work. I quickly hacked my way back into that system and found that the system did indeed record a day’s footage. If I hadn’t thought of it though by tomorrow at this time it would have been gone… I quickly scrolled through the footage until I found Bella being carried into the nursery by the lady. I played it back and watched the lady take Bella’s clothes off. As she did so she said ‘let’s change that wet diapee while we’re checking you out!’ I noticed that after she put the strap over Bella’s chest she reached into her own purse for a pair of gloves and then a bottle of lotion of some sort. We watched as the video clearly showed her spread it all over her diaper area, chest, and legs like baby lotion before she put that bottle back in her purse and put the used gloves inside a Ziploc in her purse too. There would have been no point to her using her own though, because you could clearly see that there was a large bottle of baby lotion on the changing table… “That’s pretty damning,” Grandpa said while looking over my shoulder. “Yeah…” “Download that, and put it in a few safe places?” He suggested. “Done already,” I told him. “It’s on my computer, Amanda’s computer, and Fred’s computer. I also uploaded it to an online storage account I have and it’s on this memory stick,” I handed him. “You are a nerd baby…” he said with a smirk. “Let’s run now and see if we can identify this poison…” I grabbed my backpack, put my computer and power cord in it, grabbed my phone, and added my tablet to in there too. I stopped, “Grandpa, did I hear you say that you’re supposed to drop me off with Megan?” “Yes, your Grandma and Fred think it would be a good idea…” “Then I guess I better change into a uniform and grab some pajamas and extra diapers while I’m at it…” He nodded, “You have your own diaper bag too, right?” I pointed downstairs, “I think it’s where you set it down when we came home earlier still.” I grabbed a few extra Pampers from the shelf that I could reach and put them in my backpack to be safe. Then I walked to the closet and pointed to one of my uniform sets, “Can you grab two of those to be safe?” I told him and then pointed to the footed pajamas I wanted next, “And that?” He smiled, “You need a change first while you’re getting changed?” I assessed how the diaper felt in my brain and nodded. He picked me up and sat me down on the changing table before quickly changing my wet diaper like a pro. As he started to pull my outfit off to change me into my uniform I asked, “Actually…Umm… would it be better just to make me seem like a normal baby to your friend?” “Normal baby?” “Put a hat on me and I look like an innocent three month old infant… he might not display as much prejudice?” He looked at me thoughtfully, “Might not be a bad idea actually…” He grabbed the clothes he was going to put on me and folded the outfit neatly and handed it to me, “You have room in your backpack for that?” I nodded and pulled the bloomer panties back on and stuffed the clothes as neatly as I could into the backpack. I kept my student ID on my neck, dangling it underneath my dress and walked over to the closet where Amanda had started a hat collection. I found a bonnet that matched my dress and carefully used it to cover all of my hair while he ran downstairs to find the diaper bag. “You know there is something to be said for you being able to blend in like that… perfect spy…” he muttered. I smiled, “I try!” He put another spare uniform, a cute sunsuit dress, and a pair of my footed pajamas into the diaper bag. I made sure that several more diapers, enough for a couple days just in case – I didn’t want to rely on the dorms for diapers! Joe then picked me up and placed me on his hip while I carried my backpack myself on my back. Meanwhile he held the diaper bag and the evidence in his other hand. He made a quick stop in the kitchen to grab a couple of clean baby bottles that he stuffed in the bag along with several sealed bottles of water, and a handful of small bottles of apple juice. “Be careful what you drink around the university,” he reminded me. I nodded, “I know…” He moved about then setting the house alarm, locking up, and placing me into his car that featured a new rear facing infant carrier car seat now. “When did you get a new seat for me?” “Your Grandma dropped it off earlier… she wasn’t too happy with you being in a seat too big for yourself,” he said. “It’ll actually work really well though for your idea. I’ll just carry you in it and rock you back and forth. No way he’ll think you’re anything but the baby you appear to be.” I nodded as he closed my door and walked to the drivers’ side. He started the car and I stared at my outfit and hands as he drove for a long while. I was missing the mirror that Amanda had put in the car for me to at least see what was in front of us. I was also missing Bella as someone to talk to at least... Just like every time I was in a hurry back home, it seemed like you hit every red light that existed! I sat and thought about Bella and hoped that she’d be okay. Medical technology seemed to be far ahead of our own back home, so hopefully they had something – maybe even the nanites, that could help. I couldn’t help but think that ‘I came close to being the victim too…’ I wondered what the point of killing Bella even would be after everything… ‘I guess they could mutilate her body and get the chip they’re after…’ I kicked myself for not trying to hack it already myself. At the police station Grandpa Joe separated the car seat from its base and carried me out of the car. “Grandpa, why don’t you give my pacifier?” I suggested. He set me down on the ground for a second while he dug through the diaper bag and found one to hand me. I plopped it into my mouth and smiled, “Fanks!” He smiled back at me and closed the car door before putting the handle of the car seat under his arm and grabbed the evidence from what happened to Bella. I couldn’t see a lot from my vantage point, but the female officer at the desk smiled at me and cooed, “Oh my gosh, she’s such a cutie pie!” “Right now she is, wait until she gets hungry or poops that diaper!” Grandpa joked. “I’m amazed how quickly she can go from being cute to a monster!” “Oh hush Joe, she’ll grow up with a complex!” He laughed, “Maybe… Given the fact my daughter is her mother that may be inevitable,” he chuckled some more, “I’m here to see Bo in the lab?” “Yes sir, if you’ll just sign-in here,” she said as she handed him a clipboard that he quickly signed before she handed him a visitors badge. “Your little cutie doesn’t need a badge yet!” she told him. He laughed, “Thanks, he’s still in the same place, right?” “Same cages for the lab rats,” she said with a joke back. He swung me again from his arm and began moving down the hallway to wherever his destination was. He had to be buzzed in through two security doors before he finally sat me down on a table and began talking to this ‘Bo’ person. “Hi Joe,” he said extending a hand. Swinging from his arm I actually had a good view of their conversation, seeing that he was quite a bit shorter than Joe - definitely scrawnier than average for an Amazon. I guessed that he was probably only eight and a half feet tall, so Joe easily towered over him. “Hey Bo, thanks for letting me come in.” “Yeah, no problem Joe, you said it’s an emergency?” “Some asshat bitch of a lady poisoned my daughters new little girl she adopted. I think it happened when she took her off to examine her as a fake LPS visit. We have it on video that she rubbed some sort of cream on her, but don’t know what the agent she used was. This was the diaper she was changed into by the lady.” I watched the guy wrinkle his nose a bit, “That’s a different piece of evidence… some might say it’s really shitty evidence…” Joe gave a small grimacing smile, “The puns never stop with you…” He shook his head and shrugged, “I aim to please. Believe it or not it’s definitely not the most disgusting thing I’ve had to analyze. What exactly do you want me to look for?” “She rubbed the cream over her diaper area and her chest. I think that’s the substance we need to identify there will probably be more than slight traces inside the diaper on the lining. The lady used gloves when she put the diaper on, so there won’t be fingerprints left to analyze. My granddaughter has been in and out of consciousness and they’re barely keeping her going. If we can figure out the agent she may have a chance…” “And if she doesn’t make it?” “Then I want to know what she did before I put her down for good,” he said angrily. “What were the symptoms?” “She was kind of cranky, seemed to have some loose stool – that would be in the diaper you’re holding, and then she became really sleepy. She wouldn’t wake up for dinner and when my daughter went to check on her discovered her barely breathing and non-responsive.” “Shit… Well there’s a couple of things that could cause that off the top of my head… I’ll get right on it, maybe it’s a common substance at least with some sort of known treatment. My equipment can probably have an answer in an hour either way?” “That’s about as much as I can hope for… I’m going to take my other grandbaby here to my youngest daughter to babysit for the night. We didn’t think it would be good for her to wait in the hospital…” “No it wouldn’t… If you drop her off then come back… I’ll probably be about done analyzing it?” “Great,” Joe said and shook his hand, “Thanks Bo, I owe you!” Bo shook his head, “No, I definitely owe you about fifty times this for saving my skin. This isn’t even close to enough to even the table. Erin would never have been able to raise our kids alone…” “I’ll be back in a bit,” Joe said giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder before he picked me back up and carried me out to the car. Once I was secured he went into his door and I asked, “What did you do for him?” “A few years back there was a crime scene he was on site investigating that was really just a trap by a bunch of cop hating morons. Five heavily armed guys attacked the investigating techs and officers with automatic rifles. They had Bo pinned him down and the rest of his crew was either wounded or dead... I just happened to be nearby having dinner and managed to take down four of them before an injured office managed to get a round off into the head of the fifth. All were wearing heavy body armor… Seven officers died that day. Bo was injured, but I managed to do enough care at the scene that they were able to patch him up in the hospital and send him home to his family.” “That’s amazing,” I said, “I had a feeling you were a bonafide hero the second I met you. You remind me a lot of my own grandfather…” I felt a bit sad at missing him back home. “I’d be honored to meet him some day,” he said to me with a voice that left no doubt that he was smiling. The car ride to the university took as long as it took to get to the station. By the time we were there I was both thirsty and had a wet diaper that was getting clammy. He called Megan as he pulled into the parking lot, “Megan? We’re down here in Lot 42, if you’ll come collect your niece?” He hopped out of the car and waited for Megan with me. “Let’s change your diaper and get you back into your school clothes…” I nodded as he undid the harness straps and then moved me to the back seat on the other side of the car to strip me naked. I was more than slightly embarrassed to be in the midst of a diaper change as Megan came up, “Hi Daddy!” she said and hugged him. “Hi Stacy…” she said as he laid me down on the diaper and taped me in. “Hi Megan,” I said. “Did you bring pajamas?” She asked me. I nodded, “They’re in the diaper bag?” I paused, “I thought it might be better to be in my uniform though?” She shook her head, “Pajamas makes you look like an innocent little girl right now… Your uniform would mean people think you’re out after curfew?” I grimaced at that knowing that would certainly come with spankings and demerits. My stupid brain recalled that being worth seven… “Should you carry me in the carrier then too?” I asked. She looked thoughtfully for a second, “Let me think for a second while we get you dressed. Daddy do you mind if I take over? No offense, but you’re a little out of practice…” He laughed, “You girls and your dolls…” She tickled my bare stomach and began quickly zipping me into the pink footed-sleeper. “Naw, we’ll leave your carrier here. I’ll just carry you and have your diaper bag on my other shoulder. Daddy can you hand me her backpack?” He did so as she held me comfortably on her side. “Any more word on Bella?” She asked nervously. “Not yet,” he told her, “I have a lab analyzing some evidence… I’m going to go back there and hopefully have an answer in a half-hour or so. I’ll call you as soon as we know something more about Bella…” She gave me a comforting squeeze then, “Okay, I’ll take care of the princess here. I’ll probably need to keep her at their house after tonight though. They’ll get picky on her not being in a littles dorm otherwise…” “Yeah… I guess I could just take you there now?” “No, you worry about figuring out what happened to Bella. We’ll be fine for a night if I have her in bed pretty quickly when we get inside. No one can say she’s not being taken care of, and I really am just babysitting my niece.” He nodded before hugging us both, kissing her on the head, “I love you Megan, see you soon.” “Love you too Daddy,” she said with a smile. “See you later,” I said. She waved my arm bye as we watched him pull out and she began the trek to her dorm room. “Pretend to be sleepy for me, okay?” I nodded, “It’s not that hard right now…” She gave me a comforting squeeze then and waived her ID at the scanner to enter into her dorm. There were a lot of ‘awes’ and ‘she’s adorable’ comments as I was carried upstairs. Just outside of her room she ran into Raileigh, “Hi Megan,” she said before taking a double take, “why do you have Stacy?” Megan sighed, “Her little sister was attacked this afternoon and is in the hospital. I’m babysitting while her parents and my parents are sorting out everything.” “Oh my gosh, is your sister going to be okay?” She looked at me. I shrugged, “Her heart apparently stopped a couple of times and they’re doing all they can… It doesn’t look good right now,” I admitted with a few tears leaking out of my eyes. “Aww you poor thing,” she said sympathetically “Yeah… anyway, we’re going to turn in for the night. We’ll see you later,” Megan told her. She closed the door and sat me down on the bed, “I thought we were going to have a clean entrance until we saw her…” “Will we get any trouble for me being in here?” I asked. She shrugged, “It’s an emergency, you’re an adopted little in the capable hands of a babysitter. You don’t live in the dorms, so it’s not like it makes sense to send you there. And, clearly according to the law you’re not able to legally stay on your own.” I nodded, “Umm… do you mind if I get on my computer for a little bit here?” “Why?” she asked, “I thought you were sleepy?” I smirked, “I’m tired, but I’m actually probably okay to stay up for while longer. I wanted to get the image of the lady who did this to Bella and search it against their employees and anyone else?” She nodded, “Go ahead, but we’re turning the lights off and laying down in the bed just in case anyone comes by to check on us!” “Okay!” I told her. “You want a drink before bed?” She asked as she handed me my computer from my bag. “There should be a bottle in the bag?” I asked. She looked and saw a full juice bottle in addition to the empty bottles, “You really want a baby bottle? You’re not at my sisters house?” I smiled, “I’ll tell you a secret…” I blushed, “I don’t think they’re that bad. I actually kind of like nursing from them…” “You’re a weirdo, you know that?” “Takes one to know one?” I suggested. “Why you,” she said with a smirk and launched into a quick tickle attack before saying, “I actually need to go to the bathroom before bed… you’re coming with me because I can’t leave you alone in here.” I nodded and held my arms out. She balanced me on her hip and carried a carrier of stuff with her in her other hand to the bathroom. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and then used the toilet with me sitting there in the stall with her. When we emerged an older student was standing by the mirror. She seemed to be waiting for us. “Megan, I heard you have a little university student here? You know you can’t adopt from the university littles?” Megan laughed, “I haven’t, this is my niece. Her baby sister is in the hospital in the ICU… My sister, who’s her mom, had nowhere else for her to stay tonight. Our dad asked me to just babysit her here for the night with everything going on. We’re going to make a blanket fort and a bed on the ground so she can’t accidentally fall out of bed. Kind of a slumber party?” “She’s a student though? Shouldn’t she be in Wennig?” “Terra she doesn’t live in the dorm. She’s adopted.” “Then how is she a university student? Every little university student has to live in Wennig…” ‘Clearly this girl isn’t too bright…’ I thought to myself. “I can be a student because my Mommy enrolled me here because I’m smart.” She scoffed at that, “No little is smart.” “Well I kind of am,” I told her. “Now I know this is unusual, but I’m just here for tonight. I’m in a diaper, so there’s no worry of me leaking anywhere and making a mess. Aunty Megan is my babysitter, is there really a big problem?” She looked at me skeptically, “I guess not… it is a special circumstance, but you do need to be in bed like now. Little’s were supposed to be in bed an hour ago…” “I couldn’t just leave her unwatched in my room by herself,” Megan reminded her. The girl rolled her eyes for some reason and we were able to make a quick exit from the bathroom to her room. “Work quickly,” she told me after she pulled her mattress down and began making a blanket fort like she’d talked about. I didn’t waste anytime loading the computer and running digging into the LPS systems. I ran her picture against a database of IDs and failed to match her. I thought back and remembered her name was supposedly Diana Ellis and typed that into the system. Her name came up as an employee, but she was most definitely not the lady we had seen that afternoon. “Shit…” I said softly. “Stacy!” Megan admonished me quietly. “Sorry… but the lady earlier was a fraud!” She looked at the information I showed her and added her own, “Shit…” “Auntie Megan, I have delicate ears here…” she responded with sticking her tongue out and dialing her phone. “Dad?” She said quietly, “It’s Megan… Stacy just figured out the lady from this afternoon was a fraud…” I listened as she outlined what I had said and kept searching the ladies image. It finally matched up with a company ID for Venture B & E. I showed her that, “Dad Stacy just gave me some more information that the lady works for that company they had problems with in Selegnasol…” I could hear over the phone him say, “Shit… hold on one sec…” “Is he at the lab?” I asked her. She nodded, “Yeah I’m still here…” she listened for a second, “Yes sir, we’ll keep the door locked until you or Megan come tomorrow. Love you Daddy, tell Mandy that I love her too please,” and then hung up. “They find something?” I asked her. “He says they identified a poison and he’s calling Fred at the hospital to see if the information helps with treatment.” “Did he say what it was?” “Iocainoxitate?” she paused, “I think that’s what I heard the tech tell Dad?” I quickly typed the name into a search browser and felt my heart drop, ‘Iocainoxitate is used in industrial settings to aid in the production of beryllium isopheres. The compound is considered highly hazardous and full protective gear must be worn to insure no exposure to skin or lungs occurs. Exposure to quantities as low as 10 mcg are known to be fatal to adults.’ “This doesn’t look good,” I said feeling tears go down my face. She looked over my shoulder and then hugged me, “There’s still hope,” she told me. I nodded, but didn’t agree verbally because what little I could see didn’t lend a lot of hope. I decided it was time to call it a night and had closed the computer and laid down under the blanket ceiling of the fort she made when there was a light knock. I gave a look at Megan and put my head down to pretend to sleep. I heard her lightly step to the door and opened it, “Yes?” she said to the person. “I was told you have a little student from the university in here?” “I have my niece here. She is a student, but she’s been adopted by my sister and enrolled here. I’m babysitting her right now while her parents and my parents are at the hospital. Her little sister is in very bad shape there.” “You know they have their own dorm…” “But she doesn’t live there.” She sighed, “Look, I’ll watch her at my parents home or her house tomorrow night if need be, but this was a very urgent emergency. Her sister’s heart stopped several times and she may not make it through the night…” “Oh my…” the voice said. “Yeah… so can you please just let her stay here tonight? She’s already asleep?” “This one time only… Any other time you have to watch her you need to babysit at her house, or she needs to get a bed in Wenig since she’s a student.” “Thanks Carmen, I appreciate you doing this,” she said sweetly. “Now I don’t want to wake her up, so good night,” she told the girl. I think we both feared the girl, who I suspected was the Resident Hall Director, would stand outside and wait to see if we began talking. Megan locked the door and changed into her own pajamas before laying down on the mattress next to me and giving me a big hug. “Let’s not risk her coming back…” she whispered in my ear and I nodded. I found her arms to be quite comfortable around me, and with the sound of her heart beating drumming in my ears, I was lulled to sleep fairly quickly. AS I WENT to sleep I feared the phone ringing telling us Bella had died. Instead neither Megan, nor I, woke up until close to ten in the morning when there was a knock on the door. Megan was apparently as much of a morning person as I was because it took a few minutes of knocking before she sat me up and crawled her way out of the blanket fort to the door. I followed her needing to pee badly. I let it out nearly completely involuntarily as she opened the door revealing Dean Sanders’ face. “Good morning Dean Sanders,” I said standing beside Megan. “Good morning ladies. Megan I had an odd message this morning from your RD that a little was staying with you. Do you have an explanation? This is normally against the code of conduct for our university for both big and little girls,” she said coldly. “Would you like to come in and have a seat?” Megan said with a surprisingly calm smile as she looked at her and picked me up protectively in her arms. “I guess,” she said and Megan motioned her towards a small couch she had in one side of her room. Megan settled herself down while placing me onto her lap in a desk chair. “Last night my dad called me and said that they had to rush Stacy’s sister to the hospital. It’s been touch and go all night long for her after she was there. My dad was needed to do a few other things and then went to the hospital with my mom to wait with Stacy’s mom and dad for word with Bella. Without anywhere else to send her for the night she came here.” “What happened to your sister?” Dean Sanders asked me. I debated on what to tell her, but decided to tell her the truth, “We think a lady impersonated an LPS officer yesterday and poisoned her.” She narrowed her eyes, “You shouldn’t make up stories young lady…” Just then another knock came on the door. Dean Sanders motioned for Megan to stay there and went to open the door herself. Amanda stood there and didn’t really look shocked to see Dean Sanders face, “Good morning Jackie,” she said to her tiredly. “Amanda you look like hell,” she said. I couldn’t help but agree as her hair was a mess and she was clearly wearing the same clothes as the day before. It looked like she had taken her makeup off at one point and her bare face presented itself with red baggy eyes. “I feel like it too Jackie. I’m guessing you’re here because Stacy stayed overnight here?” “Yes I am. I am willing to consider this being a one time exceptional thing, but I’m a little concerned that your baby girl is making up stories. We can’t have students lying to the administration…” “What did she say?” “Some contrived story about an LPS officer poisoning her sister? What kind of person does she think I am to believe a tall tale like that?” “Umm… Actually it’s true,” Amanda told her. “They arrested her an hour ago and she’s going to be indicted for attempted murder.” “Bella’s okay then?” I asked cueing into the ‘attempted’ word. “She’s not going to come out of this easily Stacy, but with a good team of doctors she’s going to mostly be alright…” “Mostly?” Megan asked behind me. “We’re afraid there’s going to be some brain damage and organ damage that’s going to affect her long term.” “You’re kidding?” Dean Sanders asked, “Who would do such a thing to someone else’s baby?” “The same group that tried to have Stacy kidnapped last week here on campus, broke into our house, and the same group that actually broke into our house again last night. It was a good thing that Stacy was here with Megan last night, or they would have gotten her too.” Dean Sanders had gone from looking like my future in the university was bleak to suddenly feeling bad for me. “That’s terrible… What are you going to do now?” “Well we have contractors taking care of the house, but we may need to go stay with my parents to be safer until they get this all figured out.” “Well… if you can’t get things easily sorted Stacy could stay in the dorms?” “I guess we can keep that in mind… but I’d rather not have her that far from me. Besides, you probably don’t even have any rooms free?” “Well… it’s the beginning of the year. We usually end up having to consolidate dorm rooms a couple times through the freshman semester. We’re almost to that first consolidation now… I know her nest already has two empty beds now.” I cringed mentally and wondered who the two unlucky girls were. “If this doesn’t work out we’ll think about it,” Amanda said, “but she’s my baby girl and I don’t really want to not have her around as much as possible. Plus it’ll be helpful to have her around to help Bella get better…” “It’ll stay an option…” “So I guess our next question is there going to be anything we need to worry about consequences from her staying here last night?” Dean Sanders looked like she was thinking for a moment, “No, Megan was babysitting her niece during an emergency. Well let this one slide. In the future though she needs to be babysat elsewhere. A dorm is no place for a baby…” she looked at us sternly. “Yes ma’am,” Megan told her. “Well, if you’ll excuse me I’m going to get home to my own babies who are due for lunch soon. Or at least I’m due for lunch soon… My breasts definitely feel like it’s lunch,” she said as a joke to Amanda. She gave a wry smile and nod, “I know what you mean, have a good weekend Jackie.” As she left Amanda closed the door then came to pick me up and I asked, “So what is going on with Bella?” She sighed, “It was touch and go last night until my dad called with the information on what the poison was. Bella’s heart stopped three times before some of the medication stabilized her. Once we knew what the poison was we treated her with some nanites to rid her body of the substance…” I felt my face fall and panicked, “They weren’t modified?” She grimaced, “I only had about ten minutes to get through the settings. I got rid of the same things that we did with you, but missed a reduction setting, and her face has the same baby face look you have now.” “How small did she get?” Megan asked. “She’s probably only taller than Stacy by a few inches now. They can probably share dresses and some outfits now…” I raised my eyebrows at that, “Poor Bella…” I said. “Anything else?” “We think that’s it as far as the mods are concerned, but she’s still unconscious and probably will remain so for another day to give her body a chance to heal…” I hugged Amanda, “I’m glad she’s going to be okay.” “Me too…” she said softly. “Well, I think it would be a good idea to get you out of here Stacy. Megan, do you think you could stay at Mom and Dad’s with her tonight? At least one of them will probably be there too, but that way I know someone else is there?” “Sure, it’s not like we have any homework yet anyway,” Megan said with a smile. “I’m sure I can deal with putting up with Mom and Dad for a night…” she sighed theatrically. “Just keep an eye on her for me if Chloe and Cassie come over tomorrow?” “Ugh… I forgot I was going to have to smell their insanity tomorrow…” I looked up at her and she said, “I really don’t get our sisters keeping their littles in poopy diapers. They smell terrible and I’d rather see any diaper get changed immediately so you don’t have to smell it! Plus if they sit in it…” Amanda sighed, “They’re definitely the nutty ones…” she agreed. “Let’s change that wet diaper and get you into a uniform before we leave?” She suggested to me. I just nodded and went along with it. Just as we were leaving I thought about something, “Mommy?” “Yes Stacy?” “Can we go by the bookstore really quick? They said we could get a different ID in a wristband form to avoid having our ID being stolen?” She looked nervously at me and her watch before nodding, “Yes let’s go get one for you…” It was a quick paced walk to the bookstore where I had to run to keep up with my two giant companions. At the bookstore we were directed to a counter where my ID was scanned, wrist measured, and I was given a wristband that I put adjacent to my LittleProtect Watch that I was assured would be just as impossible to remove without the proper university tools. We didn’t stick around long though and I ended up motioning that I wanted up to Amanda as we walked away so I wouldn’t have to run to keep up with them. I played with the wristband all the way to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Megan picked me up from the carseat, while Amanda grabbed the bags that were mine and a small one for Megan that she’d brought with her. As soon as we were inside Grandpa greeted us, “Hi girls.” “Hi Daddy,” Megan said and gave him a hug. “Hi Dad,” Amanda said, “You’re sure you’re good with Stacy being here tonight?” “Of course sweetheart… I’ll make sure nothing happens to her. Go ahead and get back to the hospital and keep an eye on Bella. Your mom will be by here in a while too to check on you all. She just went to pick up some groceries for the weekend.” “Thanks Dad, I appreciate that you already took care of the house too…” “Of course… I’m just mad that they got in. I’m glad that Stacy stayed with Megan, but until we get this situation sorted out we’re going to need everyone being really careful for their safety.” “I know… I’m glad the university is splitting the cost for security at least.” Amanda said. “Well it wouldn’t be good for one of their lead researchers, or star doctors to get killed…” “You forgot the genius student too…” Megan said with a smile. “Mandy go be with Bella,” her dad ordered. “Between myself and Megan we’ve got Stacy more than covered!” Amanda suddenly burst into tears then and her dad hugged her, “It’s going to be okay Mandy,” he reassured her. I almost felt embarrassed as I looked on from Megan’s arms, but she got herself together soon after. “You okay to drive?” He asked her when she began walking out to the door. “Yes, it’s not far and I’ll be fine,” she came over and took me from Megan’s arms, “I love you Stacy and I’m so glad that you’re okay. I feel terrible what I let happen to Bella… I’m glad you’re at least okay.” I hugged her back, “You have nothing to be guilty about Mommy, you were given credentials and had to follow LPS orders or they could have removed both of us then. They did have one legitimate agent… You couldn’t do anything. Go be with Bella now and we’ll figure out how to get her back to normal when she’s healed.” She squeezed me, “I love you more than you can know.” “I love you too.” She was gone a few minutes later and Megan said, “you didn’t get a bath last night or this morning… you want a bath or a shower?” I looked at her, sniffed myself, and nodded, “A bath would be nice…” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ December? What December? I didn't have any spare time until the last couple weeks when I took some vacation time to visit my family. I wasn't able to post during that time, but I was able to get some writing done! This chapter makes page 508 on my document that I'm typing in, and nearly 296,000 words! This is definitely getting split up into separate books when I finish! That is a lot closer to reality with the other 3 chapters ready to go now too! (Don't fret, there's probably another 4 after that!) I'll try and get to a regular posting schedule on Friday evenings for the next few weeks at least. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me so far! Let me know what you think about this chapter with a like and or a comment please!

I know it's like, only my third thing on here, but bear with me. This one's a bit more lengthy, and isn't done. But this one's a bit more revised than where I'm posting it elsewhere. Shouldn't take too long to catch this up to where it is right now, though. Please enjoy and let me know what you think! DISCLAIMER: If it is not officially declared to be, the story is NOT DISCONTINUED. I don't expect it to ever happen, but until you hear from me directly whether a project has been ended or not, just assume it's either taking longer than usual or is on hold. Please enjoy! Sheltered 1 - Joyce “Listen, Emms, I just think we should...start seeing other people.” Jack awkwardly spoke, his half-hearted breakup airing through the speaker of her phone. “We just don’t have that connection anymore, ya know? So I figured it’d be best if we just broke up this way and have it be easier on the both of us.” “Jack you fucking asshole!” the livid girl shouted, kicking the door to a home she no longer had ownership of. What a sick joke, finding to have been kicked out of your own home before even trying to step a foot inside. It was one thing for wanting to break up, but for doing it in such a shallow and sleazy way? Breaking up by voicemail and changing the locks was what really took the shitlord cake! Unbelievable! “Listen er,” The voicemail continued, and his digitized voice made Emily seethe. “I had the locks changed to the...apartment. I know you have stuff in here, but I’d rather someone else came for them. So you know, uh, we wouldn’t have to see each other…” “Ugh, you piece of shit! Can’t you at least face me if we’re gonna do this?” Emily raised her voice again, pounding on the door, unable to reciprocate her feelings. The outlet for anger that should have been her now-Ex was a block of wood, and she could only express that anger through her fists. It was so unfair! Being dumped so one-sidedly, and stepping out of the picture before she could even catch a breath--so suddenly. There was certainly sadness from losing her significant other, but it didn’t do a single thing to dampen the frustration and rage she was feeling towards him right now. “And um,” Of course there was more. “I’ll be gone for the week doing some stuff, so one of your friends won’t be able to reach me until next Sunday. Sorry about that.” As if there was actually any remorse. “And I’m really sorry about this Emily, I just think this is the best for the both of us…Bye.” The voicemail clicked, and his spiel was over. Emily’s heart was being tossed and turned by a tornado of emotions. She was hurt, yet bitter, since the poor sap couldn’t even face her to give a proper breakup. To the very end he was an inconsiderate, self-absorbed douche that only ever gave a damn about how he felt! In the short term for what sucked the most, all of her clothes were in their--his, apartment! Emily was already kicking herself for having lingering attachment. But how could you sever almost a year’s worth of love in the blink of an eye? Even she knew their relationship wasn’t in the best of spots...but not bad enough to think that this would happen. Unfortunately, the place was signed under his name, and she had no legal authority to be in there; no authority to get all of her clothes...That’s what sucked the most! Unable to even change, as she moved closer to the exit, the anger burning inside Emily turned into frustration, then finally sorrow. So much of her life had been turned on its head in one fell swoop. Emily moped along the sidewalk as she was still in the blouse, dress pants and hard-sole shoes she’d been hoping to change out of since she sat in her desk this morning. The bustling of cars, people, and city construction blended into white noise as she was deep in sorrowful thought. The little things like not being able to change clothes, get something to drink or even take an after-work shower in her former home seemed to be all that she could think about. The passing faces and noise by this point had all meshed together into white noise. An even darker reminder in the back of her head was how just because her life stopped, that didn’t mean the same for the rest of the world. She had work tomorrow, and there was no chance in hell she could wear the same clothes twice! She took out her phone, hoping someone could help her out; observing her very small list of contacts… “Candace, please, it’s just for one night. I just need a place to stay so I can freshen up for work the next morning…” A repeated string of failed attempts were already plummeting her expectations. “Oh...you said there’s no space at your place? Alright, sorry to bother…” “...You moved? Where? Denver? Alright, sorry for calling…” “The place is being renovated...Mhmm. Okay, thanks anyways.” “Vacation...Okay.” A new piece of her heart would chip, as each and every one of her friends let her down; the many lifelines she thought she could count on in times like this. Her mom and dad were not an option either, as it was thanks to her own life decisions--so long ago now, that would put the width of almost an entire country between she and her guardians. She was sitting on a park bench, becoming more glum as the minutes passed and the oranges and yellows from above started to mix with emerging blues and purples, until it all became a muddled black. Taking a deep breath, Emily tried to minimize the overbearing panic over work in her mind; diverting all the energy she had focused towards being mad at Jack. She tried her best to use it in a much more productive sense. What she needed to worry about the most was finding a place to stay for the night. She reasoned that a hotel or motel room would have to do; whatever she could find at the cheapest price. Standing up from the bench, she then noted her phone had only 13% of its battery left. Fucking Jack! If he hadn’t royally screwed her day up, she could have tended not only to herself, but her phone too! But that wasn’t an option right now, like all other avenues of hope. All Emily could do was work with the time she had. The clock read 7:06, and the sun was setting. And speaking of the sun setting...the clouds suspended above looked to resemble her mood an awful bit. Almost like… Rain. The raindrops were crashing onto the brick sidewalks with such force, that they would explode into little mini water bombs; snaking their way into the cracks between Emily’s exposed foot and shoe. Without an umbrella, Emily’s body had become ice cold with her business attire doing little to protect her from the raw elements, as she became drenched in every sense of the word. “N-Need t-to find a motel…” She shivered and shook with each step. Upon the research done on her phone, any of the nearby hotels were far too expensive to spend a night in. Yes, she needed shelter, but not the kind that would break the bank. Practically swimming in her shoes, Emily felt alienated by the few people that still walked the streets, the difference between them and her being they had umbrellas. “S-Somewhere, please…” Emily quaked as she was on her last leg. She couldn’t stop anywhere, because another wasted moment would be the potential rest she would lose out on. Everything had gone wrong, and there didn’t seem to be any sign of that changing in sight. What was supposed to be another day off of work had transformed into something much more unforgiving, and became a night filled with unforeseen obstacles that challenged her in every which way. Emily could only let out a pout as she saw the time on her phone read 8:28. But as long as she could get through this, everything would be okay, until--! “Wha!- agh!” Emily yelped as she was swept off the ground, and collided with the brick path face-first. Getting up on her knees shakily, she turned around to see the small opening in the sidewalk she managed to trip on; a puddle of water disguising the evil trap. She looked at her foot which now had a throbbing pain, but it was too dark to clearly see just how bad it was. Either way, her ankle hurt. What made things worse was when she noticed something on the ground, closer inspection revealing it to be a phone. Her phone. “No...no, no, please!” the damaged girl whined as she held the broken remains of her phone. The screen was cracked, and the now lifeless screen reflected her helpless situation. The feelings of despair truly started to sink in at that point, tears edging out of her eyes as bitter defeat embraced her. It was impossible to distinguish what were her tears and the rain, the mix of misery rolling down her cheeks. Bracing herself, Emily picked the phone up and started to stand. Putting weight on the wounded foot however was a mistake, feeling a sharp jolt of pain erupt from her left foot Emily quickly fell again. She looked around for anyone that could help her, but she had truly reached a new low now, as no one was walking in the area. Only the occasional car would drive by, much too busy to stop, much less even notice a person in the pouring rain. Not that she’d expect them to. Just like everyone else, she should be able to handle this. Streams of indistinguishable liquid ran down her cheeks. Did it matter though? Without any goal in mind now, Emily stood herself on the uninjured foot this time, limping to the doorstep of a building that was covered by a small overhead. Silently, interrupted by sobbing every now and then, she watched the rain crash into the ground as if it were hypnotic, and was devoid of all thought. Too miserable to think, too damaged to move, she ran out of stamina to consider the future, and was too preoccupied with digesting the present. Somehow, despite being covered in water and chilled to the bone, exhaustion must have taken her over, and she dozed off for who knows how long. “Excuse me? Hello?” Emily, still groggy from sleeping, looked up to see a mysterious figure tower over her. “You’re awake, thank goodness…” The womanly voice sighed in relief. “Wh-who are you?” Emily was still shaking the sleep out of her head, trying to collect herself. “Come on now, can you stand?” They were concerned for her, as they leaned over to pick Emily up by the shoulder. Leaning on the woman as a crutch, Emily quickly found herself on her bad foot again, letting out a yelp of pain as she quickly readjusted. The woman seemed to take notice as well, taking care to ease their pace towards who knows where. In one arm she had Emily’s torso and the other a hand occupied with an umbrella--something Emily would have appreciated as a silver lining ages ago. It hadn’t been but only a few minutes until Emily found herself being shuffled into a car and laid down on a row of seats with a towel surprisingly ready for her. Emily’s rescuer shut the door behind her and moved to the front seat. Then driver’s door shut, and the car made a quiet hum as the vehicle began to move. “I know you’re a bit out of it right now hon, but if you can hear me, I’m going to take you ba…” And that was it. Emily dozed back off into sleep, relishing that she was somewhere much more comfortable than the hard steps on the city streets. Either way, her current bed was thousands of times better than what she was just dealing with, and it felt amazing. Despite all the turmoil she’d experienced this day, Emily finally felt at peace, if only for a short while. “Mmmmmm” Emily softly moaned as she stirred beneath the covers. She rolled her body from one large pillow to the next. The mattress felt like a cloud that supported her entire body and everything around it. And the covers felt warm, yet so loose and free. Light from somewhere aroused her eyes, causing them to open, and force the realization that this wasn’t her bed, or room. Or...clothes? Emily looked over to the light that poured through a glass door balcony, and onto her and the light brown covers that blanketed her. She looked down at herself, dressed in a slightly white oversized nightgown, and lifted the hem to also see she wasn’t wearing the same panties as she was from when she was last awake. Unfamiliar with where she was, Emily racked her brain trying to think of what happened. She looked at the digital clock by the nightstand, seeing it was the early morning of tomorrow, or rather, today. Someone had picked her up last night, took her to her car and…nothing. That’s all she could remember? Emily looked down at herself again, reasoning she must have been pretty dazed to go under a transformation like this without being disturbed. It was also clear then she wasn’t wearing a bra, if she didn’t already feel vulnerable enough. Emily whisked the cover to the side as she stepped out of the bed onto the thickly carpeted floor, and walked over to the door leading into a hallway; reminding herself to stay on her good foot. The floor was now wooden (And cold, she almost sheepishly noted), and there were a couple of other doors that were closed. She walked into an open area decorated like a living room. On all of the white walls, she noticed the occasional empty space would be occupied by some abstract art piece or another. She walked past the large couch and coffee table, into a much shorter hallway, through another opening and into a kitchen. “Finally awake, are we?” The woman from the night before said to Emily, causing her to jump slightly from surprise. She was sitting at a table next to the island, sipping what permeated the wonderful aroma of coffee and was scrolling through a tablet, reading who knows what. “Uhm, hi.” Emily could only stifle a response. Being in a stranger’s home and comparing their attire, the woman couldn’t help but feel intimidated, and also well-underdressed for the exchange. “Well? Don’t be a stranger. Sit!” She commanded in a friendly tone, slipping off what were probably her reading glasses as she excused herself and moved over the counter. Emily was still taking in the woman’s appearance and her surroundings, trying to get things up to speed for herself while she adjusted. This room’s interior was dressed in tiled backsplash, and the many metal tools and appliances seemed so stainless...and expensive. “Excuse me?” Her savior suddenly asked, breaking Emily’s train of thought. “Oh! Yes?” Emily quickly responded, slightly embarrassed for being so out of tune. “I asked how you liked your coffee.” She looked back at Emily waiting for an answer. “Do...do you drink coffee?” “Yes! Yes, please,” Emily was quick to answer again. “I’ll just have whatever you’re having.” “Are you sure? I really don’t mind making something extra.” “No, please, I’ll be fine with yours.” “If you insist…” Emily stared down the back of the person she didn’t even know the name of yet. Her brown hair ran a bit past her shoulders, and was wavy and free, yet was tame and professional. Seeing her stand, even minus the heels, the woman looked like she had quite a few inches on the very small-feeling Emily. She was already dressed in a gray two-piece suit that hugged her curves, ready for the day, much unlike Emily who felt very exposed at the moment. She pulled a mug from one of the cabinets and poured the rest of the coffee pot into it, setting the drink in front of Emily. “Bon appétit.” She chuckled, returning to her own seat. Black. Of all the kinds of ways she could drink her coffee, it was black. The least of Emily’s favorites. But she couldn’t turn it down now, not after already being offered the drink. That would be impolite of course...and childish. Emily took a sip of the still-hot coffee, taking in the bitter taste as she sat the mug down. “You looked pretty banged up last night,” The woman broke the silence. “It was a good thing I found you when I did.” “Yeah, that’d have to be an understatement. I can’t thank you enough for what you did last night. Believe me, I felt like I’d reached the end of my rope…” The woman smiled again at Emily’s return of gratitude, taking a sip from her own drink now. “And you’ll have to forgive me,” She started again. “I didn’t even catch your name last night?” “Emily, Emily Sen.” Again, Emily internally cursed herself for not even giving her name before spending the night. Not that she was even in the condition to have done so. “And I didn’t get yours either…?” “Joyce, Joyce Summers. Sorry for not telling you any sooner, you seemed a bit out of it to try and make any conversation.” She laughed, as Emily’s unfortunate night was already starting to feel like a thing of the past. “Thank you again. And your house is so lovely, from what I’ve seen at least. For letting me stay in your room, thank you, really! I can’t appreciate it enough.” Joyce was still smiling, but with a tinge of curiosity she asked, “It’s really no trouble, but what do you mean? You didn’t sleep in my room last night. You slept in the guest room?” What? She had to be joking! Joyce looked amused as she could see the surprise morph Emily’s face. “But it was so huge! Everything in that room looks way too nice to not be a master bedroom!” “Better believe it hon, I just like my guests to feel comfortable.” Joyce sipped her coffee again, taking a moment to check once more on her tablet. Now that Emily thought about it, this apartment did seem awfully large, and didn’t look cheap in decor. Judging from what she had seen, it didn’t take long for Emily to connect the dots that Joyce did in fact live some kind of lavish life to an unknown degree. “Wow…” It was all Emily could do for a reply. Being in such a big home really put things into perspective with what she and Jack had at their relatively much smaller apartment. Jack...She then felt a pang of sadness at the sound of his name. Jack truly was an asshole, but she couldn’t deny how long they’d been together, and how much it hurt to now be apart. She felt the tears coming on as she never had a moment to process her emotions. “Is everything okay?” Joyce was already getting up from her seat, ready to come to her aid. “Yes,” She sniffled. “Everything’s fine...I was just thinking about last night, that’s all.” Emily half-lied, quickly drying her tears and doing her best to stay strong and keep up appearances, in front of the one person she wanted to look good to. Joyce sat down again, seeing she was more or less alright now, and said: “Well please, I want to hear all about it. It’s the least you could do. I’d like to know how something as wonderful as yourself could have been dealt such a bad hand.” Emily warmed to the kind tone of her words. For in what felt like forever, things actually felt like they were stable. And she was right. The least Emily owed Joyce was an explanation. Emily took a deep breath, then started. “So I was just coming home from work the other da…” “Well…” Joyce briefly spoke, taking in Emily’s entire story. She stopped, and got out of her seat, wrapping her arms around the surprised Emily. “It’s alright now, we’ll get you fixed up.” She continued, comforting Emily in the middle of her kitchen. She couldn’t help but blush, feeling even smaller now for being hugged like a child as if they needed consoling (considering her eyes could see just only above her bosom). But she couldn’t deny it was nice to have someone that actually felt like they were there for her. “Th..thanks…” Emily responded. While she couldn’t reciprocate the awkward embrace totally, she at least hung her hands from Joyce’s arms. The two were still far from really knowing each other, but it felt like Joyce was making an effort to shorten that gap of strangeness. “Now,” Joyce released Emily from their hug. “Let me clean our drinks up. I’m sorry I didn’t make anything more...‘extravagant,’ but I’m a bit rushed for time, you see…” Joyce was quick to take both mugs (Emily’s being hardly touched) and empty whatever was left into the sink and wash them out. Snapping back to reality, Emily then asked, “Also, how were you able to find clothes that fit me?” “As you can see the nightgown doesn’t fit since it’s in my size,” Joyce joked as she turned off the faucet. “But other than that, I just bought you a package of underwear when I got you back here. And how did I know your size? Well…” Joyce gave an exaggerated look as if she were sizing Emily up. “I have a knack for clothes!” She laughed. Then as an afterthought she included, “And sorry about the bra, I was a bit preoccupied on getting back to you with the bare minimum. I didn’t want to put you for a total scare by being alone in a stranger’s apartment.” “Wait, you bought this for me?” Emily looked down at herself. “Please, just let me know how much I owe you. I promise I’m good for it, and--!” “Nonsense.” Was all Joyce said. “Your money’s no good here. Only I will provide to my guests.” Emily then remembered her chest was currently bare under a single article of clothing, and was suddenly thinking about how Joyce had dressed her at some point last night; coloring her face in a new shade of embarrassment. But such thoughts were quickly chased by another one. Work! Ohgodohgodohgod, she totally forgot! Emily remembered checking the clock that morning and it was somewhere around 7:00, and she had to be in for 7:30! A look of panic took over Emily’s face and Joyce seemed to notice too, asking what was wrong. “I’m gonna be late for work! I need to be in by 7:30!” Emily worried as she was quick to slide the chair back over the tiled floor and unknowingly step on her injured foot. With a wince and jolt of pain, she fell back into her seat however, Joyce following over to her. “Emily,” She politely yet sternly said as she knelt and made eye contact with her. “You can’t go to work today.” Gently, Joyce lifted Emily’s red and slightly swollen ankle. “Did you forget about this?” Emily then looked too, and realized that she was being foolish for thinking she could work. But there wasn’t any way for her to call in! Not with her phone at least... “But my phone is broken, and I can’t-” Emily was interrupted as Joyce was already taking out hers. “What’s the number to your workplace?” Joyce asked, patiently waiting for an answer. Hesitantly, Emily gave the number to her. But why would she need to know? Emily was the one who had to call in. Joyce dialed the number and put the phone to her ear while she waited on the line. “Joyce really maybe I should be the-” Emily was again halted by Joyce when she mouthed the words “it’s fine” to her. “Hello?” Joyce greeted to the person over the phone. “Hi, this is Joyce Summers calling in place of a worker named Emily Sen?” There was a short pause on the other line. “ Yes, I’m calling to let you know Emily won’t be in for work today.” Another pause. “She injured her foot last night and can’t stand on it properly.” A sudden flashback struck Emily: whenever she would visit the nurse’s office at school, and have to hear the nurse explain her sickness or injury to her parents over the phone. Yes, she’s scheduled to be having it looked at today. Perfect, thank you for your help.” There was another long pause over the phone. “Who am I to Emily? A...close friend. Yes. Alright, I will be sure to let her know, thank you.” With that, Joyce hung up the phone and Emily was free for the day. “You didn’t have to call for me, really.” Emily stammered, feeling as if Joyce crossed a line that felt oddly foreign. She strangely felt the need to assert some sort of maturity she now felt was lacking. “I know I can seem overbearing,” Joyce admitted, “But please, let me do whatever I can to take any stress away from you. Let me help you.” Emily felt better once she explained herself and was somewhat put at ease. “Okay...Thank you, again.” Emily couldn’t express her gratitude enough. In a span of less than 24 hours, Emily had come to meet a person that was willing to bend over back for her on all fronts. Frankly, she feel deserving of such generosity. Not a single bit of it. “But they did tell me to relay to you that you still need to send an email stating that you won’t be in today. Just so they hear from you. And so, please, please, please!” Joyce raised her voice with each and every please, “Take it easy today?” After a brief pause, Emily conceded and nodded her head with a sheepish smile. Their moment was interrupted by the ringing of a doorbell. “Oh?” Joyce turned her head away. “Just a moment, if you will?” Joyce walked out of the kitchen and a little bit down the hallway to what was likely the main door. Emily didn’t dare budge from her seat, lest she cause even more trouble for the kindest stranger she’d ever met. She could hear a conversation begin. “Ms Summers, I don’t mean to rush you, but the car has been waiting for half an hour! I understand maybe taking a few minutes, but don’t you think this is a bit much?” “Calm down George, what are they going to do, fire me?” Emily could hear Joyce laugh a bit at her own remark. “Either way, we need to go, please!” The man sounded as if he were almost begging. “Okay, okay. Just a second, I have to say my goodbyes.” “Goodbyes?” The sound of a door suddenly closing made itself known, and Joyce appeared back in the kitchen. “Did I make you late?” Emily asked, already beginning to feel seeds of regret. “No, you kept me company.” Joyce corrected as she grabbed her handbag off the counter. “Time’s obviously a little short right now, though, but here’s the rundown: I want you to rest here today. Feel free to use the couch, tv, kitchen, bathroom and so forth. If I were you, I’d want to change right about now, but unfortunately there isn’t anything for you to wear that’d fit, so you’ll have to make do. There’s a computer in my office for you to send out your email whenever, and feel free to browse if that’s your thing.” Joyce took a brief pause, reaching the end of her laundry list. “And also, I didn’t bathe you last night, so don’t forget to take a shower!” Joyce joked as she was already walking out. “I’ll be back at around 5!” She shouted to Emily, farther away now. Emily could hear the doorbell ring once more. “I’m coming George!” Joyce yelled in an irritated tone, opening the door and quickly shutting it behind her. Emily sat there blankly, taking everything in once more. She now had this giant home to herself for hours, and was being told to enjoy it to the fullest extent. She was fine being dressed this way since it was just her; all she had to do was rest. But wait, bathe her? Emily remembered what she hoped was a joke made by Joyce. Emily blushed, already trying to forget about the thought. 2 - Relaxing Emily walked down the hallway, searching for Joyce’s office. She may have the entire day to relax, but she could get it started sooner by doing the one small task entrusted to her first. Emily looked at her choices, there being four doors (aside from the room she slept in) to choose from. Turning the knob of the nearest one, Emily opened the door to find a large bathroom, but that was for later. Either way, not an office. Shutting the door and moving on to the next, it was another room, probably Joyce’s. She didn’t take time to ogle out of respect for her rescuer’s privacy. The next door was locked, meaning it probably wasn’t that either, but the final door out of process of elimination looked to be it. An L-shaped desk was set up in the corner, and was mounted by a few monitors, notebooks, binder, and the rest of the office essentials. Emily pulled out the chair and faced herself in front of the monitors, looking down to see there were in fact two computers. On the rightmost one there was a small sticky note attached, labeled ‘BUSINESS’ “A computer just for business, and another for everything else…” Emily muttered to herself in amazement. Living life lavishly truly had its perks, and was especially intimidating to witness firsthand. The computer tower was already humming softly to indicate it was already on, and Emily shook the mouse to bring the computer out of its slumber. Instantly the screen lit up and she was quick to write and send out a proper email. Putting the computer back to sleep, Emily closed the office back up and was ready to start her day. It was only then though did the hunger really start to hit her. She’d barely had anything to eat or drink since lunch at work yesterday. It did feel a bit impolite, invading Joyce’s fridge; but she did tell her to, after all... Keeping it simple, she made some eggs and toast with a glass of orange juice. Biting into her food, she couldn’t help but note its unexpected quality! Be it the ingredients or appliances used to prepare them, it was certainly a better meal than she could ever prepare back at her old place. After finishing, she looked longingly at the fridge once more, already aware of how she was restraining herself from indulging too much. Yes, she was hungry, but then she’d not only feel like a glutton, but she was also taking advantage of Joyce’s kindness. Despite being told to relax, her actions needed to be careful and calculated, so not to make Joyce regret her own kindness. The dishes and pan were washed, and next on her checklist was the bathroom. It was a spacious, tiled room with orange lights that gave the atmosphere a warm glow. The centerpiece to the room was the tub itself; surrounded by steps, and a lowered ceiling that was an expansive shower head! On one end of the tub there were two handles for a faucet, and one for what Emily assumed to be for the shower portion. Near the sink was a pair of two large cabinets, opening them to find countless towels and amenities. Grabbing just the essentials, Emily set them beside the tub and started the water; the gushing flow already warm to the touch within seconds. It wasn’t every day Emily had a chance to bathe. She’d always have to be on the go and couldn’t afford a long soak, but today she could--and, it was also convenient for her foot. After enough time, when the water was filled to a reasonable height, Emily cut the water and had already stripped herself of her two articles of clothing and stepped into the water. It was pure bliss as she eased into the large tub. Easily she could have fit four more of herself in the tub; the sheer size was almost overwhelming. She rested her head along the curved edge where there was already cushioning attached. With her legs splayed out, and almost sitting up, the water coasted just beneath her shoulders; tiny waves bobbing from the shockwave of her entering the glorified hot tub. This home truly was like a fantasy and a dream to many much like herself. She knew it couldn’t last, but she knew to enjoy it for as long as possible. It was almost funny to imagine what she’d do if Joyce had told her to stay put. With the soap and conditioner she took out, Emily performed her routine (much slower than usual, of course) and allowed herself to simply soak. The euphoria was indescribable, just from lying there. She even let out a yawn, and then her eyes started to feel a little droopy. “Maybe for just a second…” Emily bargained with herself as she closed her eyes, clearly for more than just a second. Alone with her thoughts, and the noise of a bathroom fan, she quickly dozed off and fell into a slumber. “Hnnn….ah!” Emily stirred for a moment, then jolted herself awake from the swishing of water. “Ah…?” Emily looked around, confused for a moment, trying to remember what she was doing. “Aww...damn!” Called back to the task at hand, she somehow fell asleep while in the bath. Feeling all pruny, Emily was quick to press the drain button on the mounted console, as water slowly swirled into the center drain. “How long have I been in here?” She wondered, stretching away the fatigue. Emily looked at a high set window on the other end of the bathroom, and from what she could tell, not too much time had passed. Reluctantly, she stepped out of the water and draped a towel that seemed to fit quite well around her figure, and walked over to the sink to wash up while she dried off. She grabbed a smaller towel for her hair; it being somewhat shorter than Joyce’s--something she oddly noticed. After enough time, her blacker-than-usual hair was returning to its original shade as most of the excess water was gone. Unsure of what to do with them, Emily folded her towels and placed them next to the tub and returned the other things she had used. Reminding herself to ask Joyce what she should do with the towels when she gets back, Emily put her sole pair of panties back on and then the nightgown. It did feel kind of strange being in practically pajamas during what felt like daytime, but it was all she had to work with. The light was flicked off and the fan came with it, as a much cooler draft welcomed her back into the rest of the apartment. With really nothing else to do, Emily flopped onto the thick-cushioned couch and looked on at the tv as she gave it life with a nearby remote. Flipping through channels, it took a bit of searching until she could find something to be satisfied with. From then on it would be a day of lounging and relaxation. She stared at the high ceiling, still trying to accept what has happened to her and what has been done. A total stranger, someone she’d never met before was so willing to stick their neck out for her. The idea felt foreign to her, and the same could especially be said for the irony of a stranger treating her better than Jack did. Without even glancing at something that could give her an inkling of what time it was, Emily listened to the sounds of the tv and fell into sleep again. But before she could do that, the apartment was filled with a doorbell’s ring. Huh? Who was that supposed to be? Sitting up from the couch, carefully walking over to the door, Emily stepped down into the shoe area and on her toes peeked through the peephole. Of course, she had no idea who this person was, nor what they wanted. Warped by the wide lens, she could see they were wearing some kind of white lab coat. A doctor’s coat maybe? “Hello? Emily? Are you in there?” The new stranger knocked on the door this time. How did she know her name? Emily was puzzled as she reluctantly turned the handle and opened the door. She was adjusting her glasses when she saw Emily open the door, putting on a happy face. “Great, you must be Emily.” She greeted her, giving a small wave. “Hi,” Was all Emily could say for a moment. “I don’t mean to be rude, but how do you know my name?” The woman was a bit taken aback by Emily’s confusion, brushing past Emily and already entering the apartment with a bag about the size of a normal purse. “You’re kidding, right?” The woman asked as she made her way into the kitchen, already knowing the way. Emily shut the door behind her, following her in tow. “Did Ms.Summers not tell you I was coming?” “No, she didn’t…” Emily trailed off. She didn’t know how to feel. This person seemed familiar with being here, but she had no way of knowing who they were to Joyce, but at the least they were on a professional level. “I apologize for the confusion,” She was sifting through her bag on the table. “Ms.Summers called me earlier this morning, asking me to make a visit here to look at your foot.” She was pulling out a pair of latex gloves. “You can call me Doctor Hall.” she stretched out her hand, Emily shaking it in reply, still caught off guard by an in-home visit from a doctor in a stranger’s home. “I’m Emily, it’s nice to meet you.” While Doctor Hall was washing her hands, she said to Emily, “If you could just sit in a chair for me, please? That way I can take a quick look at the injury.” Not wanting to waste the woman’s time, Emily pulled out one of the chairs and turned it from the table, sitting down. It felt awkward not having to do anything else, but the sudden reminder of what she was wearing returned a few shades of embarrassment to her face. The doctor either didn’t care, or knew too well how to pay no mind to it though, as she slipped her gloves on and set her bag beside her on the floor while taking a professional, yet gentle hold of Emily’s foot. Nonetheless, it caused her to wince out of reflex, and tried to take a deep breath in the solace that she was still likely in good hands now. Doctor Hall poked and prodded her foot in certain spots and gave other areas around the ankle light taps. She’d ask Emily to try moving her foot and roll it, sizing up what she was looking at. Satisfied, she set Emily’s foot down again and went back into her bag. “Well, it’s nothing serious, just a minor sprain, it seems.” Doctor Hall said, pulling out what looked like gauze. “However,” she continued, beginning to wrap Emily’s foot. “Better to nip the problem in the bud before it has time to bloom, as they say…” “Will I be able to work tomorrow?” Emily asked. “Tomorrow?” She took a moment to consider. “What kind of work do you do?” “Office work. But some days I have to move files from different departments in my building, so I guess walking is part of the job.” “Coming from a doctor that cares for her patients? If you stay off your foot today, and keep it well-iced, I would say you would probably be in decent shape to be working at the desk. But in the long-run and for what possibly may come your way? It’s a definite no. I’d give it a couple of days, at least.” “A couple of days?” The estimate was a little shocking. “Do I really need to wait that long?” “In the end you’re your own person.” The doctor shrugged as she finished wrapping Emily’s foot. “If I were you though, I would wait until my foot is back in good shape before I start going back to my daily routine. Worst case if you do choose to work tomorrow, you could potentially prolong the injury and find yourself in a position even worse than now. Best case? Well, consider it a lucky gamble you shouldn’t have been making in the first place.” Emily still looked unsure as Doctor Hall discarded her gloves into the trash bin and grabbed her bag, standing up. “You can ask Ms.Summers for my contact information if you’d like a direct referral to take some time off of work. Just remember what I said, should you choose to bite the bullet. Don’t forget to keep ice on your foot for today, regardless of what happens tomorrow. She was already making her way to the door when Emily suddenly realized she was leaving unpaid. “Wait!” Doctor Hall turned around for a moment to look at her. “Don’t you need my full name, credit card or something for the bill? The address might be an issue though, so-” “Already taken care of. Ms.Summers insisted on the bill going under her name. She requested that I didn’t even talk numbers with you. Enjoy the rest of your day!” With that, Doctor Hall took her leave, and Emily was alone again, dumbstruck. Already paid for? Why was Joyce doing so much on her behalf? That woman was of a breed Emily couldn’t even begin to understand. However, she quickly resigned the thought, for now, and grabbed some ice from the freezer. Resting her foot on a pillow and an ice pack on top, Emily was able to find comfort once again with where she lie, with a slightly less irritated ankle. Emily opened her eyes to find she’d slipped into another nap for, again, who knows how long. Turning a bit to notice the blanket that had been draped over her, she also noticed how her foot was just as numb from the cold as it’d been when she slept. Did someone change the ice out? Her ears then picked up on the humming from the kitchen, accompanied by a wonderful smell dancing past her nose. Looking out the large windows that lined the wall of the apartment, the sky was of a much more orange shade now. Not wanting to leave the blanket, Emily carried it with her like a cloak to the kitchen. Sure enough it was Joyce, her hair pulled back as she worked on some sort of meal. She was in a much more relaxed outfit now, a long sleeve shirt and smooth charcoal pants. Joyce turned around to see her, and if she was surprised to see her, she did a good job of hiding it. “Finally awake, are we?” She smiled. “How long have I been asleep?” “Since I got home a few hours ago, that long, at least.” Joyce stirred something in a nearby pot. “I’m sorry for being asleep, if I had known you were back I…” “Don’t even think about it,” Joyce was quick to respond, but just as focused on the cooking. “You’re doing exactly as I instructed, and you’re making yourself at home. Anything less and I’d have been sure to scold you.” Joyce again let a small laugh at her own teasing. “But I’ve been dying to know, what did Doctor Hall say about your foot?” “Oh, well she said I would technically be fine to go back tomorrow, but she said I should wait a few days for a full recovery…” Granted, if it were a few days, Emily would have to start thinking about where she could stay for a more long-term situation. It stressed her out even thinking how she should have already gotten started on this earlier today. “Okay then.” Joyce blankly replied as she unloaded a tray of what looked like garlic bread from the oven. “I’ll have to know what you like in advance for what to eat then.” “Wait, what?” Emily almost broke into a stammer, Joyce yet again being a box full of surprises. “Well, if you’re going to be staying here I should at least accommodate you properly.” She nonchalantly spoke, looking to Emily as if it were a given. “Joyce, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve already done. I’m already in your debt so much there’s no way I can make you do more for me! I’m practically a stranger to you!” “First,” Joyce was getting plates out of the cabinet. “There is no debt, only kindness from one friend to another. Second,” The silverware came out next. “You already said yourself that no one was around to take you in, yet here you are with someone more than willing to do that. Third,” Then the glasses. “Having company here for an extended time is rare for me. You might think it’s weird, but I like having company every once and awhile. These opportunities aren’t exactly common for me. And finally,” She opened the fridge. “What would you like to drink?” “Joyce, please. I can figure something out on my own. I can’t be a burden to you like this anymore. You paid my medical bills!” “Emily,” Joyce assumed that firm tone from earlier this morning. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness for how I handle my finances, but frankly, they are mine and not yours.” It certainly was a bold, yet factual stance. “What I choose to do with my money is my business, and I choose to use it on you. Instead of worrying about what I do for you, it’d make me much happier that you take the time to enjoy the things I do for you. In the end, I can’t make you stay; but I want you to know how happy it would make me if you did. Think about today. Didn’t it feel good? Being able to take the day off for once? I know it’s only been a day, but I really don’t mind becoming something more than strangers.” Joyce didn’t feel like waiting and was already pouring some kind of drink for her, finishing her little speech. “Joyce…” How was she supposed to respond? She had trouble finding the words. Joyce wanted this, and Emily knew it would be convenient for her, so why was she fighting this? Was it a matter of values or something? She didn’t even know herself. “Please. Let me take care of everything?” Joyce finally stopped to look at Emily sincerely, giving what felt like her complete, undivided attention. With a final sigh, Emily sat down in the chair and hung her blanket over the back of it. Her bare thighs felt cold making contact with the bare wood, the adjustment in temperature feel being a bit hard to make. Joyce seemed to have sensed her compliance, because she took their plates and already started to load them. “I hope you like pasta,” She said, moving on to the pot of sauce. “It’s one of my all-time favorite dishes.” Pasta did sound good, and if it was anything like the breakfast from this morning it was sure to be good. “Sounds great.” Emily said, part of her mind still hanging on their conversation from a moment earlier. “So I’m curious,” Joyce finished their plates and set them in their respective spots, once across from the other. “What did you have for lunch today?” “Lunch? Oh,” It then occurred to her she really didn’t have anything. “I actually didn’t have anything.” “Well you should start. My food is your food, and sticking to a constant meal cycle is good for you.” Yes, this was true. Yet this wasn’t something she didn’t know. Emily took her first bite into the angel hair pasta, covered in a layer of rich sauce and lightly powdered in parmesan. The first bite was amazing. Everything blended so well together in an indescribable taste. She felt like she was eating at a restaurant right now! What was the secret? Was it the cook? The ingredients? Emily was dying to know. “How is it?” Joyce took another casual bite of her food. “It’s...amazing!” Emily exclaimed. “How do you get it to taste this good? It feels like I’m sitting at a restaurant right now!” Better put a luxury hotel. After using much of Joyce’s apartment, it was clear that this wasn’t a far cry from being one--maybe even better. “Glad to hear my cooking receives such high praise!” Joyce continued eating. “Do you eat like this every night?” “Not every night,” Joyce pondered the thought. “Sometimes I have business dinners to attend, or I like to eat out instead. Food’s always better when someone else makes it for you.” It went without saying, but did Joyce honestly not consider this good food? “For times like this I don’t mind cooking for a guest. It’d be poor etiquette otherwise.” “Speaking of business,” Emily took another bite, and then another. “What do you do for work? If you don’t mind me asking.” “Oh, I…” Joyce seemed to be calculating her answer. “I have a high position in a company that helps manufacture things for hospitals.” “Oh, okay. Like, bioengineering or something?” Emily poked further, wondering why the answer was so dumbed down. “In a way, I suppose.” Joyce kept to her cryptic answers. “But what about you? What do you do for work? “I have a desk job at this real estate office, not like I could ever afford anything there haha.” “Oh? Any company I might know?” “It’s called Luxury Estate?” While the company did handle high-end properties, it did include much more down to earth and affordable ones as well. “Oh right, now I know. The international one!” “Mhm,” Emily took a sip of her drink, finding it to be iced tea; equally as delicious as her meal. “Now if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?” Emily couldn’t help but feel curious to find the answer. She couldn’t put her finger on it. Joyce looked so full of youth, had a great figure, and was tall...Unlike others who could not be as blessed. Yet, she had this aura around her that made her seem so...mature? Maybe that’s what it took to survive at the level she worked at? “My, you’re being quite forward aren’t you?” Joyce gave Emily a little grin as the pair ate. Her remark quickly had Emily backtracking, suddenly realizing how rude she was being. “If it was too much to ask, I-” “32. I just turned 32 last month.” 32?! Emily was shocked for different reasons. She looked so young, but she seemed to be at an age where she wouldn’t look as great as she did now! And to be so young at the same time, wouldn’t it take years upon years to reach the kind of place she was in now? The kind of time that’d make your age closer to 40 at the minimum? “Wow…” was all Emily could say. “Wow?” Joyce raised an eyebrow. “Now I’m worried, is that good or bad?” “Good! It’s good, really. You just seem so...accomplished.” “I hope so,” Joyce chewed her food. “ To reach somewhere like this has been some time in the making. I know it usually takes others a bit longer, but both luck and skill play their parts for something like this. But now I need to know, how old are you?” “26.” Emily said. The age gap was only six years, but it was a whole six years. She felt light-years away from the kind of success Joyce had, and highly doubted that she could ever reach something like Joyce’s stature. Still, Joyce seemed almost as young as Emily was, apparently Joyce has brains and beauty on her side. “Looks like I’m six years your senior.” Joyce spoke in an almost playful voice, with her plate almost cleared. They continued their small talk as dinner came to a close. Despite Emily insisting that she help, Joyce took on the task of cleaning up all by herself, happy to do something for someone else every once in awhile. Emily then excused herself to the bathroom, walking in and by the tub, quickly realizing that she forgot about the towels, and yet they weren’t where she had left them? “Joyce, I’m sorry, I forgot to ask you what to do with the towels.” Emily said, finishing her business a second ago. “That? Don’t worry about it. I saw them on the way in to take a shower. I don’t remember telling you what to do with them, so you’re not at fault,” Joyce had just finished washing the dishes and set them out to dry. “Still though, you must have been in there for a good two hours? What did you do, fall asleep in there?” “How did you know I was in…?” Puzzled, she stared at Joyce for a response, but suddenly felt her eyes drifting around the room, connecting the dots as she could see a tiny security camera mounted in one of the corners. “You were...spying on me?” Emily suddenly felt a sense of betrayal. Realizing how she made Emily feel, though, Joyce was quick to try and amend the situation. “No, no, please don’t misunderstand! These things were here long before you arrived. They’re for security purposes, of course. It’s my daily routine to review the footage, with you in the shot or not. And...it’s not that I don’t trust you, but on some level as you said earlier, we’ve just met. And if it makes you feel any better, I don’t have a camera in the bathroom, or any of the bedrooms.” The air certainly felt awkward now, even though part of Emily knew Joyce was justified in her actions, it wasn’t pleasant to suddenly find out she’d been on recording for the entire day. But it had been only a day. She was still a complete stranger despite their brief yet meaningful interactions. She paced her mind trying to remember if she’d done anything worth worrying over, but if she hadn’t been confronted over something now, there wasn’t anything noteworthy to begin with. “I’m sorry. It was something I should have told you earlier. Just being here for so long makes it second nature, I suppose. But believe me, your privacy is assured while you’re here.” “It’s fine.” Emily said, not even sure if she believed what she was saying. “Like you said, it’s no biggie. It was just a surprise hearing there are cameras. But you have your reasons, of course. “Thank you for being so understanding. Truth be told, they came with the apartment when I got it. But let’s not talk about that anymore. I’m going to finish up cleaning here. In the meantime, you can take a look at some of the clothes I got for you to start wearing. “Joyce! Please!” With a few simple words, Emily’s stress had already kicked back into high gear. Coming from a lifestyle where she was just a few steps away from pinching pennies, it didn’t sit well with her to have so much money be spent on her. “I know you loved wearing my nightgown all day,” Emily blushed at the ‘my’ part. “But I figured you would start needing some more appropriate clothes, be it for work or anything else. And stop worrying! It’s only just a few things until that Jack fellow is back from whatever he is up to.” Anxiously, Emily walked to the door where there were a couple of large shopping bags from store brands she’d only dream of shopping at casually. “Take them into the living room!” Joyce shouted from the kitchen. “I need to see how they fit so they can be tailored if need be!” Tailored? She had to be joking. Yet, judging from her track record thus far...it wasn’t likely. Maybe she was back at 5 because she was doing all this shopping for her… “I said I got you some clothes, yet truthfully some of it was ballparking.” Joyce followed into the living room. “I know I said I can have a knack for sizes, but it’s not usually my forte to take these sorts of gambles.” She sat herself on the couch. That was hard to believe. Emily sifted through one of the bags, already pulling underwear and socks out. “The underwear should be fine though, I was able to get your size for that this morning. After getting you that pair last night I wanted to be sure before I made any real commitments.” “Joyce...thank you so much…” She had no idea how she would ever repay Joyce for all of this--not that Joyce ever intended to let her. “Like I mentioned earlier, this is nothing hon. Now enough about the price tags and try some stuff on! I need to know if any adjustments need to be made.” Emily took all the sets of bras and panties with her into the bathroom, individually setting them apart to try each of them on. Shockingly, Joyce had gotten her seven sets, one for each day of the week. Looking all of them over, each was some shade of dark blues, purples, pinks, grays and black. Unlike what she was used to wearing, they all had some form of design be it in stripes or small white dots all across. She slipped the nightgown off and so with the panties too. Grabbing the first pair, she slid the bottoms on and sure enough they were a perfect fit, and the bra as well. She even noticed the stark change in quality feel, as the material felt wonderful to the skin, and hugged her figure. Cycling through all the other pairs, they were sure enough identical in quality and fit. “Like you guessed it, everything was perfect.” Emily said, back in the simple nightgown and underwear. And as she returned them to the bags, she wasn’t positive, but almost could have sworn she heard maybe the slightest bit of disappointment in Joyce’s voice, when she said “You tried all of them in there?” “Mhm, they feel really nice too.” Emily shrugged off the thought. How was it realistic to be sad over something like that? “Great then, let’s have you try the rest on.” And so she did. After excusing herself to put one of the new sets of underwear on (feeling stupid for having taken the last pair off, anyways), Emily showcased herself in the rest of the clothing, much to the approval of both. “Well, there could be a few minor adjustments to be made on some of the clothes, but I’m thankful I could get away with as much as I did.” Joyce looked content, as Emily packed the rest away. “I’ll say,” Emily meant it too. Truly luck had been on her side when Joyce shopped for her. It felt otherworldly to have such high quality clothes, and for such a pleasant fit too. Her normal clothes fit, of course, but there was something about expensive clothes that separated themselves from what was pristine, and what was...well, generic. “But I think that button-up should at least stay like that.” Joyce pointed out to the pajama set Emily was wearing. The top and bottom were light purple and made of silk (a wonderful feeling), and had sleeves that stretched just up to her palms, giving it a slightly oversized look. Other than that, the pants were just as form-fitting as the rest (and even accentuated her bum, a bit), and had the slightest bit of extra length on them as well. “You think?” “Definitely, not everything has to fit the figure to be cute, you know.” Emily blushed at Joyce’s remark, trying to casually play it off, as Joyce couldn’t help but eat up the flustered girl’s emotions. “But with our last job for the night finished, all that’s left to do is relax.” The pair laid themselves on the couch for the rest of the night, and it was spent watching tv and lounging. It didn’t take long though for Joyce to stay on top of Emily for not having ice on her foot, which was quickly rectified. Becoming drowzy, Emily finally nodded herself off on the couch, just awake long enough to feel suspended in the air, and then gently crashing her head into something soft. It was only her first day meeting Joyce, but she already felt like an irreplaceable person in her life. Not for the money, but for the genuine care and concern she had for her. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? 3 - A Night Out Time truly did seem to fly, being with Joyce. Agreeing to take the next few days off with the aid of Doctor Hall’s referral, Emily was able to receive three more excused days off work. She would have been fine with one or two, but both Doctor Hall and Joyce pressured her to take more time to heal. Every day Emily would perform her daily routine, then have a scheduled nap and wake up to find Joyce cooking another wonderful meal for dinner that night. In this time the two had grown closer and the transition from strangers to friends had been fast and swift. Emily still continued to fret over staying in Joyce’s company for too long, but Joyce would only shoot down every complaint she made. And sure enough, what was considered Emily’s life now started to feel normal; even if it had been days since she stepped foot outside, there was comfort in the solitude of Joyce’s home. Doctor Hall came back on Emily’s last official day of recovery to inspect her foot again, satisfied with the results. What was once a red and slightly purple sight, had now receded considerably and was more pink than anything else. Regardless, Emily was much more happy with their second interaction compared to the first, considering she was much more “clothed” now, snug in jeans and a t-shirt--both articles of course sporting their expensive logos. “Looks good, Emily.” Hall discarded the bandages in the bin with her gloves. “Just keep ice on it for the rest of the weekend and there shouldn’t be a problem going back to work.” Work. The idea felt almost foreign to her now. It had only been a few days, but she already felt so out of her usual rhythm. What’s more, the weekend was already here, meaning she would have two more days off until she went back; surely making the adjustment even tougher on her. The two said their goodbyes and Emily was on her own again for a short while, until Joyce soon came walking through the door in her usual business attire. “Good to see you after working all day,” Joyce let out a sigh as she took a moment to sit on the couch. “Well, you know where I’ve been.” Emily took a sip from her bottle of water, tapping her feet rhythmically on the wooden floor. “Well?” Joyce looked at Emily with an expecting look, a cue Emily didn’t pick up on. “Don’t you want to tell me what the doctor said?” Feeling dumb for not noticing sooner, “Right! She said my foot is more or less fine now. Just take it easy for the rest of the weekend and I should be ready to go back Monday.” “You’re already going back?” Joyce said with a small tinge of disappointment in her voice. “Well I mean, yeah. My foot definitely feels better, and I’ve already taken off so much time from work. It wouldn’t feel right prolonging this kind of thing.” “I suppose…” Joyce seemed a bit lost in deep thought over something, but seemed to snap out of it quickly, exclaiming, “But we need to celebrate,” She said it in a matter-of-factly kind of voice. “Your foot is all better now.” “Celebrate? My foot is still in recovery, she said it was going to be fine with some more rest.” “Kids have early birthdays all the time, it’s the same thing with a foot recovering.” Joyce reasoned with the absurd connection. “And don’t worry, I know just the place we can go. That way you won’t have to do much walking. Just leave it all to me.” “Joyce, we really don’t have to-” “Think of it as a celebration to our friendship then.” She seemed adamant about this whole, ‘going out’ thing. “Had it not been for your mishap we wouldn’t have met, no? To happy accidents, as they say.” It was clearly another argument Emily was not going to win. With a little more convincing, she agreed to Joyce’s terms, knowing that she’d not be allowed to spend a single dime on their “little dinner” that night. Joyce had outfits prepared for them in advance. A black, charcoal cocktail dress for herself, and a skater dress made up of shades of blue for Emily. With a little makeup, the pink blemish on her ankle from before was just about completely undetectable now, and after slipping on their shoes for the night they were ready. Right before exiting the apartment, Emily caught her first glance of Joyce in her outfit; a magnificent form, and only complimented by her masterful makeup work. “Wow, you look amazing.” Was all Emily could say. “You look nice yourself. Maybe we should do these things more often?” Out of concern for Joyce’s bottomless finances, Emily hoped they didn’t. For the first time in days, Emily set foot outside of Joyce’s apartment, and made her re-entry into reality. Joyce must have been thinking the same thing too, when she said, “Welcome back to the outside world! I know it’s been a while, so let me know if you need to be brought up to speed on things.” She laughed, and so did Emily. They walked down the hallway, lined with a patterned rug, half-circle tables decorating empty parts of the walls, topped by vases filled with plants. They reached an elevator and Joyce pressed the down button, waiting in brief silence. Seeing the distance they had walked and riding the elevator to the top, it was a tough feat to comprehend how Joyce could have carried her all the way up here… “Did you really carry me all the way up here by yourself?” “Believe it or not, I did. I may not look strong, but I like to fit some exercise into my work breaks whenever I can. And you’re pretty light, I should add.” Was she really? Last time she had checked she weighed maybe about 110lb for being only 5’6”, but apparently Joyce really did work out for that to be doable. Not only that, but how could she be this heavy of a sleeper? Her thoughts were interrupted by the ding of the elevator opening--no one being inside to greet them. Pressing the ground floor button, Emily watched as the digital number descended from 27 to 1. The entire time, all Emily could hear was Joyce’s soft humming, a tune she’d grown quite accustomed to. She didn’t know what it reminded her of, but it was soothing nonetheless. The doors opened, and they rounded the corner into a very wide lobby with a shorter than expected ceiling. It came off as very minimalist: just enough to make the place look nice, but not feel cluttered. But it was all relative, of course. She may have called it minimalist, but it was leagues upon leagues better than the lobby to her old place. There was a large black rug leading to the entrance, and black leather couches for waiting lined on top of the white marble floor. They walked past a desk worker and straight to the door, where a doorman was already waiting with an open door. “Thank you, Charles.” Joyce politely thanked him in a reserved tone--nothing like how she spoke to Emily. With her, there was a sense of...care in her voice when she spoke. But to this man and like the one who complained to her for being late, she seemed to be more or less stone cold to them. There was gratitude, but also...distance. Out on the sidewalk a black car was parked and waiting for them. A chauffeur was holding the backseat door open, and Joyce gave Emily the privilege of sliding in first. Joyce followed suit and slipped in next, having the door shut behind her. The chauffeur entered the driver’s seat and politely asked, “Where will it be tonight, Ms.Summers?” “Carmine’s.” Was all Joyce said. “Sure thing. We should be there soon.” A divider suddenly rose between them and the driver, allowing the two some privacy. The windows were also tinted as well, reminding Emily of the movies where the bad guy would always unroll the window to his limo to talk to the protagonist. Other than that, Emily could almost instinctively feel the tension around Joyce dissipate now that they were alone. “Sorry about that. I didn’t tell the driver in advance where we were going.” “That’s fine…” Emily was still taking in her new situation. “What kind of place is Carmine’s anyways?” “Italian. If my cooking already wasn’t a tell, I’m quite fond of the cuisine...and wine.” Emily harbored no objections to the choice in food. If Joyce figured it was worth showing, it was more than likely out of this world compared to Emily’s standards. Staring out of the window at the city nightlife, it was a spectacle to be seeing all of this from the other side. Not once had she driven a car in the city for the time she had been there. Her job paid well enough, but not enough to support the upkeep of a car in the city. Buying one was one thing, but paying the price to conveniently store it and gas upkeep was another. To Emily it was far more convenient to rely on walking and public transportation. After about 15 minutes of driving the car came to a halt, the driver coming around to let Emily and Joyce out of the vehicle. Without even looking back at him, Joyce said: “Come back to pick us up in a couple of hours.” “Yes ma’am.” Without question, and like an obedient servant, the chauffeur got back into the car and pulled back onto the road. Staying close by Joyce’s side, they weaved through the passerby on the sidewalk. Stepping into the restaurant, the walls were decorated with traditional landscape photos and art of iconic locations and sights from Italy. The place was packed with people as equally dressed for the occasion as they were, if not more. Walking up to the receptionist with a book set on his podium, he was busy reading through the list to give Joyce any notice. “Do you have a reservation?” He asked, his eyes still busy inspecting the paper. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid we don’t.” His expression didn’t change, but he already seemed ready to turn them away. “But I was hoping you’d be able to squeeze my friend and I here into one of your booths, perhaps?” “My apologies ma’am, but we cannot seat you without a-” His voice trailed off as he finally took the time to see who he was speaking with. “Ms.Summers! It’s wonderful to see you again! Please forgive my rudeness a moment ago, you know how the regulations are!” He tried to laugh off what looked like a big mistake. “No problem at all. So is a booth doable for us tonight?” Joyce didn’t seem fazed by his attitude, not that Emily could understand why their interaction seemed so off. Had Joyce forgot to make reservations? “Most certainly! Please, come this way.” Personally, the receptionist escorted them to a booth in the corner of the restaurant. Emily couldn’t help but notice Joyce’s face had gotten a few more heads to turn. Just who was she in the public eye? The man handed each of them a meal and drink menu, plates and silverware already being set up for them. “Please do take your time. Whenever you are ready, just flag down one of the servers, they’ll be sure to forward your order immediately. And also, you ladies are both looking quite lovely tonight.” Joyce playfully laughed at his remark as he walked away, and Joyce quickly turned back into the person Emily so familiar with. Emily leaned in and asked, “What was that all about?” “Oh, him? Nothing to worry about. I’m a bit of a…’valued guest’ here. Good friends with the owner.” “Okay...but some of the people eating here looked like they knew you too?” That ‘high position’ was starting to sound a bit higher... “Some of their new items sound absolutely delicious, don’t they?” Joyce politely dodged her question, looking busy with the menu, and also dropping a hint that she didn’t want to talk about that right now. “Anything look good to you?” Emily looked down the menu, doing her best to avoid the prices that followed them. There was some stuff on here she had never even heard of before. What was an ‘ossobuco’? “I’m not really sure…” Emily admitted. “I don’t even know what some of the stuff on here is…” “Pick whatever sounds good to you hon,” Joyce already put down the food menu. “It’s my treat, so feel free to explore if you so choose. Don’t forget we’re here to celebrate.” Emily browsed her menu for a little bit longer and finally decided on a plate of what she thought was pasta. Yes Joyce had just made it for her a few nights ago, but she didn’t want to risk wasting food this expensive on Joyce’s dime. “And what do you want to drink?” Joyce asked her next. “Oh, um...I’ll let you choose for the both of us.” Already feeling challenged enough by the food menu, she wasn’t going to try and tackle the wine choices next. Joyce merely smiled at her answer, continuing to browse. “Did I say something weird?” Emily had no idea what she’d done to amuse Joyce. “Nothing. It’s just you being yourself, that’s all.” Was that a good thing? Or a bad thing? It didn’t sound mocking, but that didn’t make it any much more clear to her. Completely unsure, Emily pried a bit more. “What do you mean by that?” “It’s one of the many things I really appreciate about you, Emily,” She looked from her menu to the girl. “In my line of work it’s hard to meet people as nice as you without them having an ulterior motive. The difference between you and everyone else being that I’m the one who found you, and I know you’re trustworthy.” “I mean, how can you be so sure?” Emily was starting to become a bit embarrassed from such high praise. “For one, you didn’t try robbing me on day one. Two, no matter what I do for you, you always try and fight tooth and nail to somehow repay me for what I do. And three, even when I tell you to lean on me, you’re always so self-conscious about being the perfect house guest. It’s simply adorable!” The ‘adorable’ part felt a bit off, but it was still honest compliments from Joyce and that made Emily feel all the better. “Thank you Joyce, that means a lot to me. I’m...I’m glad I met you.” “Likewise.” It didn’t take long for Joyce to flag down a waitress and submit their orders under her name, leading to their meals arriving at most maybe half an hour later. A different waitress came with their meals, and then back again with a large bottle of red wine, pouring a fair amount in each of their glasses. The food was unsurprisingly delicious. Even more than Joyce’s cooking, would you believe it. Had she been told that there was something better than Joyce’s cooking a few hours ago, Emily would have likely called bull. Joyce could see the pleasure on Emily’s face, as after each bite there was a small window reserved for only the occasional sip of wine. “Slow down there kiddo, we’re not in any rush you know.” Joyce laughed as she took a few bites from her own plate, moving onto her second glass. Soon, Joyce turned her head away to see a larger man approaching them, dressed in a chef’s attire, someone who Joyce instantly recognized. “Antonio!” “Ms.Summers!” Joyce stood up from her seat to give the big man a proper hug. “It’s so good to see you back in my restaurant again! Why didn’t you tell me personally? I would have had you in the VIP room ages ago!” “Oh Antonio, sometimes I like to try living life on the ‘normal’ side,” she joked. Emily couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of her statement. Joyce’s ‘normal’ was Emily’s once in a lifetime experience. “Either way, allow me to at least serve you and your friend some of my special wine? Free of charge!” The chef’s voice boomed throughout the restaurant, catching the attention of a few people sitting nearby. “Well, I couldn’t possibly turn down a bottle if it was recommended by you Antonio! I’m sure we’ll love it!” “Magnifico! I’ll send it to your table after you’ve finished your entrées! A great way to end the night! Bah! Listen to me talk, interrupting your time together! Please, please, finish your dinner and enjoy the rest of the night.” Antonio then turned back towards the kitchen, and the two were alone once again. “Just how popular are you?” Emily took a quick glance at the rest of the restaurant, everyone seeming to have resumed their own dinner conversations. “I already told you, I know the owner of this place. He just came to see me, that’s all.” Joyce maintained her relaxed tone as she treated the encounter as commonplace. “And he really does have great wine. You’ll be sure to like it, I’m positive.” Emily wasn’t much of a wine drinker, nor was she a high-class restaurant goer either, but tonight was certainly full of exceptions. They traded bites of their food, both being equally pleased with the other’s choice--not that anything they served here could even be considered bad. While Emily started her second glass of wine, Joyce was already on her third, showing no signs of change at all in her composure as she took a sip from her glass. On their last round, the glasses were soon empty and so were their plates. Their table was cleared and then came a small plate of what looked like gelato with a light chocolate sauce striped across it. The gelato itself had a strange pink tint to its whiteness, and was decorated with a graham cracker-looking type of square, sticking out of the side, looking oh-so absolutely delicious. On each side a small spoon was already plunged into the sweet-looking treat, and a bottle of wine came grasped in the hands of the chef they met earlier. “Antonio, you didn’t have to get us dessert too!” Joyce exclaimed as she seemed to be eyeing the gelato as well. “Nonsense! How do you expect to enjoy my wine without something sweet to go with it? Not only can you share a drink, but a personal favorite dessert of mine as well!” He tore off the paper wrapping to the bottle, and used a corkscrew to open up the bottle’s contents. “Only the finest for my dearest customers.” He said, pouring the dark red substance into two new wine glasses. “Now please, I’ve disturbed you for long enough! Take the whole bottle for the night! I would not have it any other way!” “You’re far too generous Antonio! Please, keep some for your other clients.” “A bottle’s past its prime after the first time it’s been opened and drank, and therefore you must do me the pleasure of finishing it off! Hahaha!” He chuckled as he walked away. “I look forward to seeing you again, Ms. Summers!” A spectator to their conversation once again, Emily felt a tad bit giddy over the man’s generosity and insistence to make the night so special. What they had alone was enough, but to even push beyond that was amazing! Emily’s focus turned back to their dessert, and already the smallest bit of rich, creamy goodness had begun to roll off the top of the perfect scoop and pool at the bottom of the plate. She couldn’t wait any longer for a taste as she went for her spoon, but was cut short when one was already inserted into her mouth. Following the handle, she saw Joyce had already made the first move, feeding a spoonful to her currently hypnotized friend. Joyce slipped out the spoon with a grin as Emily’s mouth didn’t allow the frozen dessert to leave like the spoon, and swallowed. Absolutely amazing. It slowly melted at the touch of her tongue, as little gelato warriors in chocolate sauce armor assaulted her innocent and vulnerable taste buds. Her face melted into pure ecstasy as she completely digested the small sample. Joyce looked quite happy to have seen the spectacle, but Emily was too preoccupied to even mind. She wanted another bite, and badly. “I can take it by the look on your face it’s quite good?” Joyce stifled a laugh as she took a spoonful for herself. Joyce had a similar reaction, albeit much more reserved, quite pleased with the taste as well. Emily took a sip of her wine next, followed suit by Joyce, to receive a just as amazing taste. The residue and aftertaste of the cream was washed away by the flavor of grape mixed with the light taste of alcohol, cleansing her throat with sweetness. The drink was beyond delicious! It was not sweet nor bitter, and had just the right consistency to be the perfect accent to their dessert. Emily had to reconsider her thoughts on wine after trying something as amazing as this, but to achieve this kind of quality would probably be a bit out of her budget. “To a wonderful night, and our pleasant meeting.” Joyce raised her glass towards Emily, who returned the gesture with the clinking of glass. “To us.” Emily giggled. The two were making good on Antonio’s request to finish off the the entire bottle of wine. After a good amount of refills later from the both of them, the bottle became quite light in the ice bucket, and so did their heads. The gelato was finished off and Joyce’s cheeks were a slight bit redder than they were on the way in. Clearly a little bit intoxicated, Joyce was a bit more giggly around Emily, though she still maintained her composure towards others, like when calling for the check. Emily had done her best to limit herself, but she was feeling the buzz a little bit as well, knowing she was past her normal threshold. Their check came quickly, and Joyce slipped a black card into the pocket of the check holder without hesitation. The transaction was quickly processed and had the girls on their way in only a few minutes. “Joyce, I had such an amazing time,” Emily said, walking by Joyce as she held open the door for her; a torrent of cold, city air washing over her. As if he knew, the chauffeur was already waiting with the car door open, the two slipping in and headed home. “Emily, you have no idea how much I love having you here…” Joyce sighed as she stared off in clouded thought. “Er, thanks, Joyce…” Emily wasn’t sure how to take the compliment, whether Joyce meant it 100%, or if that was partially the alcohol talking. “I mean it,” She turned to face Emily. “It can just feel so...lonely at times being in that apartment alone. I know I helped you, but you have repaid me in full with your kindness and company…” Did she really feel that way about her? Emily couldn’t help but feel happy over such kind words. Here she thought herself to be a complete freeloader, when in-fact she’d been doing something in return all along… The rest of the drive was silent as they pulled up to the front door of the apartment building. They stepped out of the car while Emily took a second to find her land legs from all the alcohol she’d had that night. Joyce seemed to be taking it like a champ, however, drinking even more than Emily, and not showing so much of a sign in her motor skills. Just her emotions, mostly. “Home, sweet home!” Joyce half-shouted as they walked into her apartment. Emily closed the door behind them, kicking off the shoes Joyce specially ordered for the night. Emily eyed Joyce as she shuffled off into the kitchen, noting the subtle, yet obvious differences when she was drunk. If anything she seemed more relaxed, yet still had this...maternal vibe about her. They were certainly friends, but Emily could always feel this motherly aura linger around Joyce. Not that it was a bad thing… “I need to go undress.” Emily announced, walking to the room she’d been staying in. Everything felt a bit wobbly; still trying to assume her not-drunk self for long enough to just take her dress off. She scanned her hand across her back, trying to search for the tiny zipper that kept her locked in the dress that hugged her torso so well. It had almost been a minute of searching, and Emily’s heightened emotions got the better of her as she was becoming visibly and audibly frustrated. “Come on...come on...damn it! Stupid zipper!” She sat down on the bed to take a mental breather, so not to throw a complete fit over something so trivial. “Everything alriiight?” Joyce popped her head in, her shoes being taken off as well. “No,” Emily pouted. “I can’t find this damn zipper on my back. Could you do it please?” “Let me see what I can do sweetie…” Sweetie? That was a new one. Emily stood up, while Joyce ran her finger up and down Emily’s back, searching for the zipper. The feeling was pleasant, having such sensitive areas touched by someone else...But then it stopped, feeling the light tug as Joyce pulled at the zipper. “Down we go…” Joyce cooed as the zipper slowly followed suit. “Joyce, I think you’re a bit out of it…” Emily said, uncertain of the new person she could feel behind her right now. “And next we slip off the dress!” Joyce playfully continued, lowering Emily’s dress and exposing her in just her underwear. “Um, that’s enough Joyce. I just needed you to get the zipper.” Emily said, starting to feel a little uncomfortable. “Shhh…” Emily grew wide-eyed as she felt Joyce’s arms loosely wrap around Emily’s neck. “Let Mommy get you all ready for bed…” “Joyce! Stop!” Emily was suddenly shouting, shoving Joyce away. Emily stared at Joyce from her bed, dress at her ankles as she was practically naked in her underwear, unsure of who she was staring at right now. Joyce came to her senses too, her sober thoughts catching up just a bit too late before the damage had already been done. She stared at Emily in disbelief of what she’d just done to the poor girl. “I-I’m so sorry Emily, I don’t know what…” Her voice couldn’t find the words as Emily still looked confused and scared. Voice choking on tears, Joyce could only mutter an apology as she left Emily’s room, shutting the door behind her. Idiot! idiot! idiot! Joyce couldn’t hold back the tears after she left Emily’s room, locking herself in her own. She laid down in her bed, sobbing for her mistake. Why did she do it?! Joyce internally berated herself, angry for doing what she did. Tonight was supposed to be special! So why? Why did she have to let her deepest desires get the better of her? Please forgive me, Emily. Joyce teary-eyed, laid into her pillow, chasing out her fantasies and replacing them with terrible thoughts; flashes of her likely now permanently-damaged friendship. Even if she couldn’t have Emily in the way she really wanted, she didn’t want to lose such a precious friend...Emotionally unstable, Joyce wept silently until she tired herself out, and fell asleep in her dress from the night that had taken a turn for the worse. 4 - Confessions Emily groggily stepped out of her room with a throbbing headache. Like with the fallout of any fun night, it was never pleasant. She hoped Joyce had an aspirin or something to make the pain go away… Mommy. She suddenly felt herself become uncomfortable after remembering last night’s events. Yes, she was confused, and yes, she was a little freaked out. But this was Joyce she was talking about. Maybe just she wasn’t the best with alcohol, or something...Emily racked her brain with reasoning for some kind of excuse or explanation that could somehow make her feel better about last night. It was 10:00 AM and Joyce wasn’t anywhere to be found. Emily grew a little worried over not being able to find her. She wanted to talk about last night, and do something to get rid of these negative feelings about Joyce. She wanted to do anything in her power to know somehow that last night was a misunderstanding, and they could still be friends. Hopefully Joyce felt the same...Longingly she stared at the couch where they would always lounge about together. Why did things have to be this way? Joyce rapidly typed away on her keyboard in her office, quite a distance away from her home--from Emily. She couldn’t bear to face Emily right now...not after what she’d done to her. Joyce didn’t even know how Emily felt about last night...She was such a terrible person, leaving a small and confused girl without any context about last night. She must be- No no no! Stop thinking about it! Joyce started typing faster, trying to occupy her mind from such thoughts. She still felt the lingering hangover, the curse that tempted her into slipping Emily into her own personal fantasy; taking advantage of her like that, how could she? Joyce could feel the tears coming. No matter what she did, she couldn’t stop thinking about last night. She didn’t even come in on Saturdays, but she was willing to do anything to get these awful thoughts out of her head. She wanted everything to go back to normal. Where she would come home to see Emily peacefully lazing about, so she could know that she had someone to come home to--to care for-. Joyce suddenly stopped typing, covering her face as she couldn’t keep her emotional front up. It was the best having Emily in her home, but all those times she called her a friend she really knew what she meant on the inside. She was lying to herself. What she had with Emily was only a tease of what she truly wanted. She wanted to be friends, but in reality, she just couldn’t bring herself to admit how much she wanted Emily in that way! God, please make these awful thoughts stop! Emily could only pace around the house as she was filled with more and more uncertainty. She didn’t know where Joyce had gone, how she was feeling, or what she herself should do. Was she supposed to leave? Was this her way of saying to leave quietly? Frustration pushed her over the edge, as she wasn’t able to reach the one person who could answer these questions. Her cellphone was still broken, and Joyce did have a house phone, but Emily had no idea who to call to find her whereabouts. Emily was absolutely powerless and she hated it. The hours passed from 11 to 12, and then to 1. From 1 to 2, and from there to 3. It had been five hours since Emily woke up, and her mild feelings of unrest only grew into a small panic for her dear friend. She hadn’t left her, had she? No, that was impossible. This was her home after all. Emily was still in her pajamas from this morning; purple-striped shorts with a thin short-sleeve to match. Another outfit Joyce had bought for her… Emily couldn’t understand why she was experiencing these feelings she felt. The more time she had to stew on her own, it meant the more time she had to convince herself last night that Joyce’s “roleplay,” as Emily reasoned it, was something she probably didn’t want to show her...Was that all? Emily hoped so, because if it were, it would be only a small mishap that did nothing to their friendship! She stopped for a second to consider another thought: what would it take to threaten their relationship? Emily shook the idea out of her head, doing her best to stay positive. All she wanted to do was see and talk to Joyce… Deep breaths. Deep Breaths. Joyce tried to calm herself as she walked down the hall to her apartment. Why was she so scared? It was her home. Emily was a guest there! Or so she told herself, knowing very well she was scared nonetheless to see Emily. Joyce could imagine it now: Emily had probably already packed up her things and left; a sensible thing to do. She was already gone, and their friendship came to an end like that. All on account of Joyce’s foolishness. Reaching her door, heart beating a mile a minute, Joyce braced herself for the worst and most likely outcome in her head as she turned open the lock and opened the door. It was silent. She’d be able to hear the sound of a pin hitting the floor. That’s it. She’s gone. You stupid, stupid-! Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of feet rushing across the floor, still registering the sound of running before she could feel herself be embraced in the arms of a black-haired girl that came up to just above her chest. “Emi…” Joyce was beyond surprised to see her in front of her right now, much more in her arms. “Where have you been?” Joyce could hear Emily choking back a few tears. She had hurt her even further. Joyce’s heart broke to pieces. Joyce returned Emily’s embrace and hugged her tightly as well. “I’m so sorry, Emily,” Joyce maintained her composure and did her best to stay strong. “Last night I crossed a line with you, and…” “Please!” Emily interrupted her, turning her head to get the words out properly. “Just talk to me. I want to know what happened. I haven’t been able to reach you all day!” Joyce kept beating herself internally, no evident she kept Emily so isolated. She had the convenience of being able to leave with her thoughts, whereas Emily was forced to sort them here. Emily had proved her wrong once; it was only right to come clean with her. “Okay.” Emily loosened her grip around Joyce to give her some space, her heart rapidly pounding in her chest. Why was her heart beating so fast? Why did she feel so relieved to see her again? Nothing made sense, but now knowing that Joyce was still here put her somewhat at ease. “Let’s just, sit down first…” Joyce started to feel a bit uneasy again, having to give one of the biggest confessions in her life, to someone she started to feel increasingly sensitive towards. The pair walked over to the couch, unsure of what Joyce had to tell her. Emily didn’t know what to expect, but this kind of build-up instinctively made her feel that it was significant. Emily sat on one end of the couch while Joyce did the other. There was a bit of silence between the two, while Joyce looked more focused than she had ever in the time Emily had known her. “I…” Joyce’s voice fell flat. “I...have feelings for you…” Emily could see Joyce’s cheeks blush, as she pensively stared into her lap. Emily for some reason felt her heart strike a chord, hearing that, unsure of the turmoil in her own chest now. “But, what I want to tell you even more...After I tell you, I’m afraid I don’t know what it’ll be like between us…I’m scared of what might happen between us…” Emily felt scared too, but the feelings to stay connected were even stronger than that. She couldn’t deny her own uncertainty as well, but she wanted to dive in headfirst, believing nothing could damage their bond. “Please,” Emily said. “Tell me.” Joyce took another moment, still avoiding Emily’s eyes. She took a deep breath, and put everything on the line. “I have a...fetish…” There was no turning back now. A fetish? All sorts of people had fetishes, what was the big deal? And how did it involve Emily? “Okay. It’s totally fine if you have a-” “No, I still haven’t been clear yet…” Joyce seemed to tear up a bit, revealing her true self to the first person in over a decade of knowing. She wished more than anything she could stop there, but Pandora’s Box had already been opened. It was the first time she’d ever exposed herself, face-to-face to boot. “I have a...caretaker fetish…” Her voice started to grow quiet from embarrassment. “...A mommy fetish…” She hated every moment of it. Her words felt vile and vulgar. She could only imagine how disgusting she looked now. But she knew it had to be done for the sake of moving forward. For better or worse. A mommy fetish? What...what did she mean by that? Is that why she referred to herself as “mommy” last night? “Last night was about that…” Joyce suddenly broke the silence, as if reading her thoughts. “I…” Joyce openly choked back some tears as the thoughts of self-disgust spread to her face. “I think about you as more than a friend…” She sobbed. Emily wasn’t sure why, but she could feel herself starting to cry too. She couldn’t understand what was going on, but she wanted to somehow alleviate Joyce of the pain she was feeling right now. She wished she could have done anything for her sake right now. “Emily,” Joyce cleared her throat. “In the time we’ve been together...I’ve been fantasizing about us non-stop...wishing I could...could…” Emily waited in silence, and unsure of how to help her finish. Her thoughts were moving faster than she could process the information being given to her. “...baby you.” She said it. The hardest part was over. “Non-stop, I’ve been wanting to take care of you, on a much more...intimate level…” Take care of her? Baby her? The entire concept was foreign to Emily, and she didn’t understand entirely, but was able to see how important this was to Joyce, and that made it matter to her. Is that why Joyce seemed so motherly though? Was it because she had this kind of fetish or was it that Emily was being drawn into it? Or both? Regardless, the idea wasn’t a turnoff, rather, an unknown idea... “I know you’re an adult, and you have every right to be angry with me--but I just wanted to-” “Wait, stop.” Joyce’s voice halted on command, now trying to count the tiny, minuscule, holes she could see in the machined threading of her clothes; doing anything to occupy her mind. She felt ready to burst with anxiety. “I don’t completely understand what feelings you have for me.” Joyce felt bitter for what was likely to come next. “But...I don’t understand my feelings for you either.” What? She finally lifted her downward gaze, caught off guard yet again. “You said you have feelings like a mother for me…” It sounded even more repulsive, hearing it from another person’s mouth. How could anyone ever think of her as normal after confessing something like that? “I don’t know anything about this side of you…” Joyce waited. Then, she was suddenly pounced by the 110lb girl, pinning her on the couch. “But..” Her hesitant tone suddenly didn’t match her aggressive advance. “I want to try it with you.” Joyce had to have a double-take, so to make sure she heard Emily correctly. Her mind was still catching up, despite her body and heart already knowing the truth; fresh tears running from her eyes out of pure relief and happiness. As Emily’s hair dangled over Joyce’s face, she could see the tears beyond her glasses and she seemed to be in pure bliss. Emily had no idea what she was getting herself into. But the fact that it wasn’t necessarily a turnoff, and more so the unknown is what tempted Emily to take the plunge. What wasn’t knowingly hurting her, and only putting Joyce at ease was all that mattered. She would be Joyce’s baby any day if it could made her feel like this. A monstrous weight had been lifted off of Joyce’s shoulders. Minding herself so carefully as to how she acted around Emily, it was all okay now. The feelings of acceptance from who she felt such a deep maternal love for felt better than any sensation she’d ever experienced in her life. The two laid there on the couch as Joyce pulled in the girl who now had such a special place in her heart. To some, a fetish could be only temporary feelings for while they are in the mood, but to Joyce it was an undying desire that was part of her very personality, and something she wanted to be part of her lifestyle. Never would her feelings for Emily wane, and she would never, ever let her girl feel alone ever again. For that brief moment, everything felt perfect, and an unbreakable bond had been formed. Emily was simply happy to be emotionally reunited with Joyce again, and felt as if their bond had been deepened and renewed after such a stressful trial. And the more she thought about it, the idea of being loved by Joyce in such a way piqued her interest in a way she’d never felt before. The more she thought, she herself never had a “fetish” before. Maybe this could be it? Either way, the two just laid there in each other’s arms, as they began a new chapter in their lives together. In a single night their relationship felt as if it went under a special transformation they had both come to appreciate. It was the perfect night to make up for such a terrifying one before. “Now come on,” Joyce had dried away most of her tears. “Let me make us something to eat.” Happy to go back to their routine, Joyce cooked another pleasant meal while Emily laid there on the couch. Being so much more open with herself, Joyce couldn’t help but smile knowing now she had someone to truly dote on and could be honest with. It was a mild form of satisfaction to the levels she wanted to take things, but after tonight, Joyce felt that those kinds of goals weren’t as impossible as she thought. The two enjoyed dinner like any other night, and Joyce had promised to go into further detail in the morning; tonight already taking such a toll on the both of them. It just felt so good, knowing it was alright to take charge now…After dinner, Joyce changed into her own pajamas where the two spent the rest of the night on the couch watching tv like any other night. Only this time, Emily’s head was resting in Joyce’s lap, their connection feeling quite pleasant to Emily as well. It went on like that until Emily was the first to fall asleep again, Joyce being more than happy to carry her special girl off to bed. “So, what does being your baby entail?” Emily pensively asked. She was loaded with questions, and was urged most by curiosity than fear. “Well…” Joyce was still adjusting to being so open about what she was used to hiding for years. But Emily’s acceptance wanted her to be more open. “For one thing...I would have you wear diapers…” Emily felt a bit awkward hearing that. Of course she expected it, but hearing it finally be put out in the open still felt strange. “Okay…” Emily said. “Will I have to...use them?” Emily knew she it was a stupid thing to ask, but she couldn’t help but want to clarify just how she would be treated. “Ideally...yes…” Joyce felt a little bit uncomfortable as well. “For all intents and purposes...at some point, at least.” It was difficult to comprehend what it would be like pissing and messing herself, Emily strangely pondered the thought. Admittedly it didn’t sound very thrilling, at all. The last time she did that was before she was even old enough retain the thought of remembering what it was like to use diapers…Guess she would be finding out soon enough. But diapers were diapers. Taking the first step was for Joyce, she’d see where it went from there. “What else would I have to do or wear?” Was being a baby hard? She’d have to do her best to make this pleasant for Joyce. “Apart from diapers, whatever I clothe you in.” Clothe her? Then again, Joyce did say she wanted to mother her, which didn’t sound all that bad--being cared for. “But all I want from you is for you to enjoy yourself. I may find pleasure in babying you...but I want you to find pleasure in me babying you as well...” Emily couldn’t believe the terms Joyce was setting here. It only felt like to Emily that she was supposed to be benefit from Joyce’s kink, and Joyce was simply caring for her even more than she already did. But it being so unconventional was what made it a kink, Emily reminded herself. It was weird thinking that her own happiness made Joyce happy, but if that’s what it took, Emily was prepared to explore this uncharted territory. “It would come with dressing you, changing you, bathing you...and feeding you.” Emily could almost imagine the orchestrated scenes, popping through her head, only feeling curiosity for them rather than distaste. She figured that was a good sign. “And also...I might change a bit how I talk to you…” What did she mean by that? “What do you mean by that?” Emily asked, unsure. “In a tone more..age..appropriate.” Again, Joyce felt caught up, laying her intentions bare in front of the person she was going to do these things to. “Okay.” Hearing it from Joyce was one thing, but experiencing it was on a whole different level. There wasn’t much Emily could get out of a table discussion rather than experiencing the thing firsthand. “Do you have any requests from me?” Joyce asked. She wasn’t even entirely sure herself how their first time together doing this would be. She would need time to plan. “How often or long would we be doing this?” Emily wondered. She knew both of them had work which could interrupt long-term “play,” which wasn’t exactly bad to Emily, as she was currently fond of adulthood, and wouldn’t mind returning to it regularly. “Let’s just try it first, then we’ll see where to go from there…” Joyce decided, again, uncertain herself. If she were to take this seriously, she’d need to be much more decisive and prepared for her sake and Emily’s in the future. “Okay. Alright then,” Emily couldn’t think of anything that needed to come now; most of her questions either being trivial, or would ruin some kind of surprise Joyce may have already cooked up. “So when do we start?” “Since it’s already Sunday, I figured we should wait until this Saturday coming up. That way we both have time to prepare...mentally and physically.” Whatever that meant, Emily trusted Joyce. She was willing to be surrendered to her care if that meant she would be happy, and would even have Emily’s best interest at heart as well. It would be a long week in anticipation, but the both of them would tough it through. Who knew what Joyce had cooked in store. And so the week was quite slow, but with the help of Joyce’s chauffeur, Emily was commuted to and from work with ease, as the pair could meet each other at home each and every night. There was always dinner together and cuddles, but both of them knew with each passing day that their special time together was coming closer and closer. On the days Joyce came home before Emily, she would use the time to openly strategize and move some newly purchased items into her locked room down the hall... Late Friday night, when Emily had been carried to bed some time ago, Joyce reviewed her plan with satisfaction, and knew everything was ready to go. Joyce set her alarm clock for 9, and drifted off to sleep. For the both of their sake, Joyce would ensure that tomorrow was perfect.

Wonderful chapter! How many more installments do you think there will be until the story is completed? I can't wait to see how this ends!

That was a great chapter but I bet the next one will be even better. When Erica said " You ever get to a point in dealing with someone where you just want to smack them? Not like a slap across the face, or anything hard to hurt them, but just a smack across the arm because you've reached your breaking point in getting them to answer you? Yeah, I was almost ready to do that with Michael. Maybe it was my lack of sleep that week, or my inability to figure him out, but I could only take so many, “I'm sorry” and “I didn't mean to” responses" I thought for sure there would be a spanking to come. As I said before this is my favorite story something I have dreamed about for years. Thank you for sharing this with us babies. ?

Yes completely understandable. It was my first time skiing and I went to the top of the mountain(and I'm not talking the bunny hill) and it was definitely a learning experience as I toppled down it and slightly terrifying but I lived to tell another tale of this story, hehe? And I like your theory! I guess we'll find out? Why thank you! And of course, I'm not going to bite!? I know those darn Rebels! ... my thoughts exactly? Anyways, here's another chapter that may explain some things... Chapter 17 Saul looked through the countless files that this oh so mysterious little Nix had taken. He placed them on his board in his room, studying them as he placed string connecting the tacks on his map. Saul knew where Hayden was… but he wanted to create a board to figure out where their safe house must have been. He could use his new resources to his advantage until he found his answers. If Saul could figure out a safe house, then he could figure out where one of the Rebels portal were. He crossed his arms, seeing certain strings pass each other but none of them intersecting completely. They surrounded hundreds of miles of the land of Eden in the Elven Realm... yet no commonplace between them. He pulled out his phone, dialing his youngest brother’s number with a sigh. Chase was making dinner as his phone vibrated on the counter. Hayden was watching TV on the couch as he answered, a bit surprised by the name on his phone... He blinked, staring at the screen for a moment before picking up. “Heyo! How’s it going buddy?” Chase said, trying to sound casual and not confused to as why his brother was calling out of the blue. Had a family member died? Was there a accident? Was one of his cousins pregnant? The only occasion his eldest brother called for was a serious one. “Good, just working a lot lately.” Saul paused on the phone, looking out his window as snow fell slowly, “Sorry for the random call… I know we don’t talk as often anymore but I thought I'd change that.” Chase was taken aback from his brother's sudden warming of his ice cold heart, "U-uh." Chase stuttered, "Yeah, I missed hearing from you, brother." Saul walked down his stairs as he tried to remain calm, "So how about we have a get together? I heard you adopted a little and I'd like to invite you all over to my new house." He said smoothly, without falter. Chase’s mouth fell in a line as he tossed a towel over his shoulder, a bit taken aback that his brother knew Chase had a little. How did Saul know? Chase acted normal, “Oh yeah! I thought you received my family Christmas card… huh.” Chase knew that he didn’t send Saul anything on purpose, “Well, yes, me, Carey and Hayden would be delighted. Is this a friend or family event?” Chase inquired. Saul smiled, “A family event. A small celebratory party for your new addition since I didn’t get to see you guys on Christmas this year.” Saul regretted not going to the annual Christmas party… but he was busy trying to catch a Rebel or two. “You don’t have to do that! We’ll see you next year I’m sure.” Chase said, trying to snake out of this. Saul was an odd sort to littles and Chase knew his brother all too well. Saul was sure to scare Hayden, especially since she was different than many and the Rebel leader. Carey came in the kitchen, whispering, “Who’s that?” Chase mouthed ‘Saul’ to her and she widened her eyes and tilted her head in surprise. Hayden’s head turned from her iPad to them, wondering why they were suddenly quiet. “No, I don’t mind. I thought I’d have a small get together. I’ll cook dinner and maybe we can play some games that night. Have a fun, relaxing time.” Saul spoke slowly, wondering what was going through Chase’s head. He knew his brother would be confused to the sudden offer, but his brother was always a people pleaser. Saul had a strong feeling Chase would fall into his trap. Chase’s hand went through his hair, “Sure, bud. What day will this be?” He was hoping that it’d be a day he could make an excuse. “Next Saturday?” Chase mouthed the day to Carey and she began mouthing ‘make something up!’ as she waved her arms angrily at him. Chase threw his hands up, “Sure, that works. See you then.” His face was red as his hand went over it, rubbing it in defeat as Carey rolled his eyes at him. “Oh! And one more thing.” Saul said over the phone, as he forgot something. “Hm? What’s that?” Chase said, trying to remain calm. “Should I buy some diapers for your new baby? What size is she?” He said, already knowing her size but inquiring to act like he didn’t. “Small. And no, you don’t have too. We have plenty here, although she does wet quite often.” His blue eyes trailed to Hayden’s on the couch who was glaring at him, slightly confused to who he was talking to. Saul held back his chuckle with a smile on his face, “I will just in case. I don’t want anything on my new carpets.” He paused, his mind musing about Hayden, “I’ll see you in a week then.” Chase hung up the phone as Carey said, “Have you lost your mind!?” She lightly punched his shoulder. Chase threw his hands up, “What am I supposed to do?! Say: Oh yeah, by the way, the Nix case you’ve been following is actually us this whole time!” He said in a deeper voice. “Yeah but you could’ve said we were out of town! Your brother is cold-blooded and one of them. He even gives me the chills! I don’t want him anywhere near my daughter.” She blinked, realizing she called Hayden her daughter. Hayden stood up, placing her iPad on the couch, “I’m so confused, who are you guys talking about?” She walked over to the island counter, standing in her grey sweats and sweatshirt. “My brother.” Chase said, turning around to stir the noodles, realizing they were probably there for too long. “You know, you like never mention your brothers… am I missing some crucial information here? I feel like I’m out of the loop.” Hayden looked at Carey who frowned, crossing her arms as she was still fuming at her husband. Chase sighed as he strained the spaghetti noodles, “His name is Saul. He’s a hunter, one that has been hunting little Rebels in specific as of recently.” Hayden’s breathing hitched and she gulped, “T-that’s your…” She blinked, feeling dizzy, “brother?” How had she not known that earlier?! Carey’s angry gaze fixed on Hayden, “Do you know him?” Hayden nodded, “Yep, I sure do.” Hayden drank wine like water as she sat there at dinner that night, “Can we just say that you have a business trip?” Chase sat back, “Look, I’m as nervous as you. Saul has a built in lie detector in his brain and I don’t want to be near him either… but it’s just one night guys. Should be only a few hours and then we leave.” Carey’s hazel eyes rolled as she sipped her Pinot Grigio, her favorite imported wine from the Mundane Realm, “Yeah but your brother likes to interview me every time. All you have to do is act like a bro with him.” Chase’s eyes narrowed to Hayden’s full plate, switching the subject off of himself, “Are you going to eat?” Hayden drank the rest of her third cup of wine, “I’m eating wine tonight because of you fucking up for the rest of us.” Her words slurred a bit as she stood, “Your brother has it out for me. No idea why but the moment he sees me you’ll understand.” She walked over to the second bottle of wine, opening it like a wine connoisseur. Her and Carey had a true common passion and that was wine. “Want another glass, Carey?” Hayden asked as she spilled some on the counter. Chase stood, with a sigh as he came up to Hayden, “Maybe you should eat first before you have any more wine.” Hayden glared up to him, “I’m an adult and I’ll do as I please.” Her hand hit the wine glass and Chase quickly grabbed it before it spilled onto the counter. He sighed, going into the cupboard for a sippy cup. Chase dumped the wine in the cup, screwing the lid on and handing it to her. She glared at him and walked away with the sippy cup in hand, “I’m going to my room before I begin screaming at you.” Carey gave Chase a humorous look, “Nice save. I know it’s not entirely your fault..." She paused, thinking, "Did you tell your brother about Hayden? I thought we made sure we left him out of getting a Christmas card, huh.” She sat back in her chair as Chase sat down. Chase shrugged, “We didn’t send him a card. I honestly don’t know how he found out… maybe our Elderbook profile picture of all of us?” Carey shook her head, “He’s not on social media though. Knowing him, he probably checked in on us and saw. Just the strangest timing.” Hayden stared at her ceiling as she laid back on her bed, closing her eyes as she thought about Saul in her drunken state. She felt surprisingly… flustered. Hayden bit her lip, a thought of them having sex flicking across her mind. Hayden got up, walking over to the diapers on her changing table and grabbing one. Was she really going to do this? She slipped off her sweatpants and underwear as she placed the diaper under herself and taped it on. It was lightly attached around her but she began touching herself, ignoring the fact that she was obviously bad at diapering her own self. Hayden’s mind imagined him touching her, his large hands on her sweet spots. She felt sticky as she moved her hips to her own hand. She moaned, reaching her climax more than a few times. She fell asleep soon after with her cool sweat sticking to her forehead in a film.

I would suggest that you don't need to concern yourself with strangers accepting you. If you accept yourself and conduct yourself in a respectful manner, it really shouldn't matter to you how others perceive you. The only generational attribute I see universally changing, is a diminishing of self confidence.

I just want to play on my bagpipes. I just want to drink me some wine.

Get well soon Mikey.

6 - Round Two “So you liked what we did today?...All of it?” The atmosphere was still raw; thick with apprehension, despite hearing such a positive response. “Yes...I don’t know why completely, but I think I did enjoy it all…” There was the embarrassment, but looking back on it now, being with Joyce made it strangely okay. Now that Joyce has stripped her bare and seen her emotions and still chooses to accept her, she felt she could stomach just about anything as long as her protector was there to see her through. “Apart from what you did for me at the end...” Emily blushed. “I liked doing it with you, like all the things we do together…” Emily seemed to be having trouble getting the next few words out, “...and I guess I liked being taken care of…” Joyce stared at Emily for a moment, almost wide-eyed, trying to place her thoughts. Could Emily have had some inner desires going into this as well? Maybe she was on some kind of level submissive? It didn’t matter; Joyce was too happy with her response, and was relieved it had gone so well for Emily too. “That’s great Emily, really,” Joyce couldn’t do anything but smile. “But I want you to know it was never my plan to take advantage of you like that earlier…” Joyce herself started to feel the seeds of regret bloom from within. “What I did was spur of the moment, and I tried to make you feel better in an aggressive way...I took advantage of you, and you weren’t in the right state of mind to give me your consent; I can’t apologize enough for that.” Joyce could feel the soft touch of another hand on her own, looking up to see Emily’s gaze transfixed on her. “It’s okay; I trust you.” Joyce turned couldn’t help but feel the need to turn away for a moment; bombarded by a wave of emotion from Emily’s direction. When had she been able to make her feel like this? She wasn’t sure why, but, Joyce could only feel an overwhelming amount of presence from Emily, who seemed to be projecting herself so easily now. What kind of revelation had this experience given her? It was as if a key unlocked something deep inside her most hidden recesses; dusting off the shelves, and pulling back the curtains. Joyce expected this to be an end goal; not a start…! Granted, these were feelings for Joyce; not the baby treatment. There would still be changes and additions, there would be embarrassment, and there would likely be tears. It was an adventure Emily was willing to embark upon, and Joyce had every intention to whisk her off her feet, and stroll through the fields of apprehension, confusion, intimacy, and joy with her bundle of joy nestled in her arms. Just to impart sweet serenity upon the one she cherished most would be enough for her sun to rise. Not only had there been an awakening within Emily, but Joyce could feel herself being swept along as well. The stimulation was undeniably contagious. “Thank you, Emily.” Joyce could feel her resonate within her heart. Her maternal instinct was rising higher and higher; sifting closer to the surface. It was finally within reach, and Joyce wanted more than anything to reach out; clutch it and never let go. In front of her was an amazing person, who was an irreplaceable friend; a partner. But in addition to that, she was also her little girl that needed to be taken care of, and to be loved and looked after. The rapid shift in perspective was surreal, but not unwelcome. Was this what other people felt in these kinds of situations? Regardless of what the two felt, though, the only affirmation they needed was to be locked in each other’s arms. “So…” Emily’s embarrassment had started to show, and the bravado began to fade. “When is next time?” “Well,” Joyce nuzzled her cheek on the top of her head. “I’d like to get a few more things before we get into this again to make things...better for the both of us.” Now that she was on board, there wasn’t the need to feel so restrained when buying the things for her baby girl, now. Emily’s thrill and excitement were obvious, but since this was just the first time, things may still be up in the air. She’d have to expand her arsenal slowly, but effectively. “Like what?” Emily wasn’t sure how she felt about the lack of a specific date; not one for being left in the dark, especially about something so emotionally rewarding. “Maybe some upgrades here and there, and some new stuff, too. You’ll find out later.” She intentionally kept the most tantalizing bits in the dark; knowing that she was probably teasing Emily right about now. Still, though, why bother wrapping a present for someone if they already know what’s inside? It was her job to worry about the technical aspect of things; Emily just needed to see the pretty colors, whirring bells and whistles, popping fireworks; all the fruits born by Joyce’s labor. It was annoying to get an answer like that, and Joyce probably knew what she was doing too. “Come on, can’t you tell me a little bit?” Emily prodded, gently shaking her arm, trying to get a glimpse inside the loop she was being kept out of. “Give me something to look forward to!” “Look at the time!” Joyce deflected, looking at a nearby clock. “I better get dinner started, otherwise we’ll both starve!”She excused herself, already hatching a meal idea before she could turn on the stove. She also remembered that she hadn’t given Emily lunch today...Although the late breakfast was in some part to blame. For the days Joyce was at work and Emily was home by herself, she may or may not have stolen a look at the security cameras once or twice to see if she had made anything, which she didn’t. But she had no intention of telling Emily that she knew. Regardless, when they had their…”special” time together, Joyce would have to step up her “mommy” game and make sure Emily was well-fed. Maybe that could rub off on her and shape into a daily routine; with or without Joyce’s guidance. To be so doting had her over the moon. The rhythmic clack of metal to a cutting board began, and she hummed her friendly melody. “Emily? Dinner’s ready,” Joyce walked into the living room, with the girl nowhere to be found. “Emily? Where did you go…?” Joyce spoke to herself in a low voice as she approached the couch from behind. As she peeked over, sure enough, there she was. Clearly, she was still tired from waking up, and Joyce pleasuring her likely took a lot of energy out of her as well. Joyce leaned over her while she nudged Emily’s shoulder. “Emily? It’s dinnertime; you awake?” After enough coaxing, she began to stir; her eyes opening soon enough. “Hmmm..nnn…” She trembled all over, as her limbs tried to spread as far as possible in every direction. “Joyce? When...when did I fall asleep?” “Beats me; I’ve been making dinner. And speaking of which, it’s finished now and ready to eat. Does somebody think they’ve hibernated enough?” She grinned. Groggily, Emily followed into the kitchen, taking her seat on the cushioned chair that remained unchanged from this morning. She felt a calming heat radiate from her plate, as she looked down at the splash of fried vegetables diced into cubes, small strips of beef scattered throughout, and a swirl of noodles woven in abundance through the many toppings and seasonings. “Stir fry?” Emily asked as she sniffed the wonderful scent; already itching for her fork. “Yep! I figured it’d be something relatively easy to make.” Joyce nonchalantly boasted. Sometimes, Emily couldn’t tell if she were being sarcastic, or truly didn’t understand the might of her cooking...It was nice she didn’t always toot her own horn--intentionally, at least--but food at this kind of level deserved at least some personal recognition. To produce something like this so casually and think nothing of it was almost intimidating. A god treading among its subjects; never stopping to notice the ants that may be caught underneath their feet; she was totally oblivious to her skill. “How did you learn to cook so well?” Emily couldn’t sate her curiosity for any longer; it was beyond delicious, and she felt compelled to discover its origins. “Well, I don’t know if “learn” is the right word to use,” Joyce pondered. “My dad always liked to cook, so I just picked up a few things here and there from him.” “Was he a chef?” It was a likely assumption, considering just “a few things” amounted to something like this. “Yeah,” She paused to swallow. “He was the head chef at some restaurant in California at some point. It’s been so long though, I can’t even remember which one. Does that make me look bad?” The smallest amount of concern on her face was hard not to giggle at. “No, I don’t think so. And you’re from California?” It was always a treat to discover those small tidbits; nuggets of truth that illuminated the darkness surrounding Joyce. “I never told you?” “No; what does your mom do?” “Oh, they don’t work anymore. Between their own success, and a little of my own, they were able to retire a couple of years ago. We still do stuff every now and then. But what about you? Where did you grow up, and where are your parents right now?” “Well, technically I’m from Japan, but I was only there for about a year until my parents moved us to Washington back here.” “Oh, so you weren’t very far from me. Why did your parents move?” “I guess my dad was homesick,” Emily remembered it somewhat; it wasn’t something she really over considered... “That’s what they tell me, I guess. My dad is American and my mom is Japanese, so I’m sorta mixed, I suppose.” “Is that so? I think you pull the look of quite well.” Her cheeks became as warm as her plate; always taken aback by Joyce’s overbearing forwardness. “Any siblings?” Joyce continued. “Nope, just me. An only child; you?” “One. He’s my younger brother. He turned…29 last time I checked? Birthdays are hard,” She joked, taking a sip from her glass. “Speaking of which, when’s yours?” “May 29.” Emily did her best to speak in between her bites, but she was caught between the desire to speak and to shovel another mouthful of seasoned, noodly goodness into her mouth. And her birthday wasn’t far off from now, last time she checked. When was the last time she checked? Usually she’d have her phone...crap. That’s right. “Something wrong?” The furrowed brow on the girl was hard not to notice. “Um, no. Kinda, actually…” She let out a sigh. “I just remembered I haven’t had a phone in over a week…” Suddenly she started to wonder how many calls she could have potentially missed in that window of time; it stirred a feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach. She never really forgot that she was out of a phone, but only until now was she acutely aware of why she should be concerned. It was nice to disconnect every once in a while, but this was pushing what was considered comfortable. “Have I really been disconnected for that long? What if my parents tried to call me? A friend--or some important email? I haven’t been checking everyday…Do you think I-” “Emily,” Joyce called her to her senses from across the table. “Relax, it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with taking a little break. We can get you a new phone in the morning. Just take it easy for now?” Her voice was convincing, and they cut through the haze and confusion of Emily’s mind like a hot knife through butter. Once rationalizing things, it was somewhat making a mole out of an anthill. Tomorrow, she would go and buy a cheap phone; just to keep her afloat until she could upgrade to something more usable. At least she’d have something to keep her in the technological loop for the time being. “Here,” Joyce gathered their plates and glasses, moving over to the sink. “I want you to go and take a bath; relax, and clean up for a bit. Do that for me, won’t you?” Emily agreed, now beginning to learn that Joyce’s requests were better interpreted as commands; albeit a much more peaceful kind. They had been together long enough for there to be the mutual understanding that Joyce kept her best interests at heart no matter the circumstances. Yes, Emily was a grown woman, yet it became so easy to be strung along by Joyce. Day after day, the sense of having someone to fall back on--a safety net--had been so reassuring as of late. Emily flicked the light on, as she became reacquainted with one of her most favorite rooms in the entire apartment. The bathroom was always a place she could find herself become absent-minded and lose herself in thought (and maybe even sleep). Already falling into her routine, Emily set the bath to fill as she gathered a towel, soap, and conditioner. With the noise of a flush, Emily closed the porcelain throne; satisfying a different bodily need than like before. Had it been that over peeing a diaper, how she’d feel then wasn’t a fun thought to entertain...It definitely wasn’t something she’d like to consider. Vacating such thoughts from her head, Emily stripped and edged herself into the warm water; always ecstatic to indulge in one of her favorite pastimes; with no other engagements to look forward to. She looked around the room; absorbing the atmosphere. The warm air, humming fan from above, and the water that cleansed her body. With work during the weekdays, showers were her go-to for when she needed to be quick and out the door, but on weekends she could afford to take a bath much later in the day; absent of the pressures to be squeaky clean for work. She’d never let herself get dirty; her self-consciousness always got the best of her. Living with Joyce felt absolutely serene. Each and every day was an amazing experience with her, and being allowed to share a life of luxury with her was something Emily could only dream of. She still had to go and see that asshat Jack who was withholding all of her stuff, but Joyce made that a thing of the past, and simply trivial by helping her settle here. After each and every day she felt more at home with Joyce, and always looked forward to stepping through that solid door. Their “special” connection was also becoming much more clear after tonight; assuming a much more intimate familiarity. The thoughts made Emily’s cheeks burn as she sunk lower into the water, as if she were trying to hide her embarrassment from the white tiles. Whatever they had together, a big part of her hoped for it to last for as long as she wanted; being cared for by Joyce like this. Even if she felt like less of an adult because Joyce did so much for her...she was strangely okay with the feeling, or at least she valued it more than her own pride. Emily shuffled some more in the water over her thoughts; finally moving onto the cleaning process to take her mind off of things. Joyce sat in her office like she had before Emily’s little “incident,” with her glasses on as she stared at the computer screen. She almost called it an accident, but everything did go where it needed to. She couldn’t help but grin. The BUSINESS sticky note was laid to the side of her desk; a nuisance to stare at for long periods of time. Apart from checking the company stocks, Joyce was tending to a different kind of business, as she scrolled through the catalog. Yet sighed as she looked through the half-baked selection of items; initially so driven to already fill a cart. This was the best online markets could do? On a commercial level? She could only have the best for Emily, and this clearly wasn’t it...She knew high-quality furniture and items existed out there, but clearly they’d have to be specially ordered to achieve a more authentic experience. Apart from the furniture, Joyce had a sudden thought that she could use something to her advantage. Picking up the office phone she dialed the number of her secretary and sat in silence. If there was anyone other than Emily she could talk about this to, it was her secretary. As strange of a topic as it was, Sheila had sworn to secrecy in a non-disclosure agreement when she first signed on years ago. There would be no questions asked and that’s just how Joyce liked it. “Hello? Sheila?” A short pause over the phone. “Yes. I’m sorry for calling you on a Saturday, but I have something I need you to do first thing Monday morning; sooner if possible.” Another pause. “I want you to forward a special order I’m sending you soon to the Incontinence Department and have them prototype it immediately. Make sure to have it sent to my office discretely and tell them there may or may not be a bonus in it for them if their work is done well; maybe even a budget increase. No need to tell them where it’s going, or who ordered it; just make sure it gets done. I’ll include my signature as well so there’s no question about the order.” Sheila almost instantly responded. Sheila was always a great listener; like she should be. “Perfect. I’ll be sending you the details shortly.” Joyce hung up the phone while she opened up an order form on her computer. She felt giddy at the moment, having the privilege to design what would be taped on Emily’s bottom. She would be sure to make them look adorable, durable and absorbent. She may not know all the material details, but would be sure to include a comment about not skipping out on the more expensive stuff. In times like these, it felt good to be the CEO, and it was all for the sake of Emily. She spent a good half hour coming up with design ideas, describing them in explicit detail, and was sure not to simply gloss over the functionality either. Joyce included the ideal weight and waist range; sure for it to be a perfect fit. Satisfied, she registered the order under one of her retired board member’s name, then printed it to sign off the approval section. She slipped it into her fax machine and sent it over to Sheila, who would without a doubt get the job done. It was annoying having to be this thorough through paperwork, but this is what it took to maintain anonymity, which she could appreciate considering her reputation. Joyce looked back to the page she had been browsing; again, disappointed with the finished products. The much smaller versions looked so much more comfortable and adorable; if only she could simply take those in a bigger size...So why didn’t she? At times like these, it felt better than ever to have money to spend. “Sheila?” Joyce had dialed her trusty assistant again. “And also for Monday, schedule a meeting with the company BabyCare. I want to make a special order with them. Thanks again,” Joyce hung up. The last thing was clothes, but she’d be able to find a tailor for that. All she needed was to find a seamstress skilled in this sort of thing...And if she couldn’t, she could always resort to the one she always went to; the same one she used to fix some of Emily’s clothes. In fact, she already knew Emily’s sizes and always kept her clients secret. And the more she thought about it, the more she knew that she’d be the best bet to go with. Decided, Joyce would have to get in touch with her tomorrow to start production immediately. It would be embarrassing at first to talk about, but Joyce knew she could trust her. With all of her plans set into motion, Joyce finished up the rest of her work then put the computer to sleep. As she walked down the hall, glancing at the bathroom door, she wondered how long Emily had been in there. Knocking on the door, Joyce shouted: “Try not to be too long in there! You don’t want to prune, I’d imagine!” There was a pause, but Joyce started a giggle once she could hear the noise of splashing water afterward; her warning had gotten through. Thankful for the reminder, Emily quickly had a towel draped over herself as she set the tub to drain. “Have a nice bath?” Joyce asked while she read a book on the couch. “Yeah. It’s not often I get to take a bath; it’s nice when I can.” Emily took a seat on the other end of the couch, watching the near silent tv. It was nice knowing at least one person used the bath. Being so infused with the working world, Joyce always took a shower out of habit. She always felt like she had places to be; things to do, even when she didn’t. Almost all of her free time was now dedicated to Emily (not that she minded), so she almost never had a moment to spare. Yet truth be told, naptime would have been an opportunity for her to address certain matters that had to wait up until now. Hopefully down the line Emily would sleep for a bit longer, Joyce hoped. Still though, even being in the position to think such thoughts made her too happy for words. “So what are you up to tomorrow?” Emily asked, trying to make small talk. “Well first,” Joyce set her book down on the coffee table. “I’m taking you to get a new phone. I still have your broken one so we can try and salvage the sim card…Then I need to meet with my seamstress to fix the length for a few new outfits I have,” She lied. She would do her absolute best to keep these kinds of things a surprise to Emily. “But apart from that, I can’t think of anything else that needs to be done. What about you?” “Nothing, really…” Emily said blankly. She wasn’t getting out of the house aside from work lately, as she never really felt the need to. Joyce provided her with comfort here, but she was at times feeling a bit cooped up. She didn’t want to leave without her phone, having very limited options to getting in touch with Joyce. Even now she still didn’t have her number, not that she entirely needed it right now. Her pickup for work was already scheduled and they talked when she got home; everything was planned ahead of time. “Once you get a phone I’m sure you’ll like to be getting out more often,” Joyce said. But to be honest, she would be a little disappointed if it were the case. Emily being here was part of the new routine Joyce had gotten used to and came to appreciate. “Maybe…” Was all Emily spoke pensively; her mind occupied with something else. “Why? What is it?” Joyce took the bait; always able to read Emily’s mood. “I don’t know...I was just thinking.” “About?” Emily looked a bit flustered, trying to muster the courage to speak her words. “Maybe...if we were both free tomorrow...then it would be a good time to do...that again?” She was afraid at what Joyce’s response would be; honestly a bit in disbelief she had requested it herself. “Well…” Joyce was now thinking too. She knew she had told Emily that it would be at least another week before they did it again, but one more day couldn’t hurt. Yes, she wouldn’t have any of the items she ordered for Emily yet, but if another repeat of today was enough to make her happy, Joyce found no issue in indulging her little girl. And another thought crossed her mind, which may appear cruel to Emily, but beneficial in the long run...Tomorrow would be ideal in that case. “Okay then. Sounds good to me, my wittle girl.” Joyce happily cooed over to Emily on the other end, trying to not to look so flustered. The evening went on like that, apart from Joyce excusing herself to go take a shower. Meanwhile, Emily was anxious over what tomorrow would be like. She wanted to be Joyce’s little girl, but her much more independent side manifested the gnawing uncertainty within her. They’ve only done this once, and yet Emily was already craving for more...She said she wanted to stop earlier tonight, but that was her independence fighting for its freedom. She was even a bit surprised at her own desire to be babied by Joyce. It was as if something dormant was awakened by Joyce’s affection for her, and the panic caused from it only made her want to confine in her caretaker even more. Whenever she was left alone with her thoughts, now it was all she could think about; the gushy ideas and feelings seeping into her most rational spaces. Regardless, she’d be happy getting out of the house tomorrow for something other than work; with Joyce no less. Surprisingly enough, Emily was able to get to bed on her own this time, Joyce not needing to carry her to bed; admittedly strange not needing to do it for the nth night in a row. It was close to eleven and Emily wanted to be well-rested for tomorrow, already being so fatigued from this morning since Joyce decided to wake her up. The apartment was silent, minus the occasional toss or turn from Emily’s room, doing her best to get to sleep. It was a raging battle until somewhere along the way Emily fell asleep before she even realized; everything suddenly black. “Hmm hmm hmm” Emily could feel herself waking to the sound of humming; already aware of the familiar voice. “Oh, it looks like somebody decided to join me this morning!” Emily could hear the sound of plastic and the smell of lavender as her waist became encased in something snug and comfortable. “Joyce?” Emily tried to wipe the sleep out of her eyes, opening them to see she was laid on her back. “What’re you-,” She was paused by a yawn erupting from within her. “-doing?” “I’m getting my little girl ready for the day, silly.” Emily looked forward now to see a sight she hadn’t experienced since yesterday morning. The panties and shorts she had gone to bed with yesterday were now substituted for a white plastic diaper; one that Joyce apparently just finished putting her into. “When did you…?” Had she really slept through all that? To be fair, Joyce did change her clothes that one time from what seemed like forever ago...Still, she truly was a heavy sleeper… “Wittle Emmy likes to sleep all day, doesn’t she?” Joyce touched the tip of her nose to Emily’s. “You didn’t even wake up until I finished putting you in your diaper.” Being talked down to was already putting her in that small space, yet the intimacy made her heart flutter with excitement knowing she was already back in Joyce’s arms. “And what’ll it be for my special girl today? Do we want big girl clothes or little girl clothes?” Why did she have a choice? Emily tried shaking her messy hair back into place, propping her upper half up with her elbows. “What do you mean? You didn’t ask me last time?” Joyce gave a little laugh. “That’s because we were staying inside. But today we have to run some errands and go outside. Do you want to dress like a grownup today? Or maybe I should decide…” “Grownup!” The words came out as fast as her sleepy self could muster. She said it before she even had the time to realize Joyce planned on taking her outside like this. “And wait...you mean I have to go outside wearing this?” She motioned to the babyhood strapped between her thighs. “Well, we can’t leave you unprotected while we’re on the go. That would be a bad job on mommy’s part.” It felt so genuine, the way Joyce was treating her. And who’s to say it wasn’t? But it was more concerning that she was going outside diapered; in public. “I don’t want to go out like this though…” The idea was nothing short of terrifying. “It’s embarrassing…” Joyce pulled out a shirt and black yoga pants for Emily. “Don’t pout now. There’s nothing wrong with wearing what mommy picks for you. You’ll be safe and well-protected. I’ll keep you by my side all day.” The words of comfort were nice to hear, but they didn’t change how much Emily didn’t want to go through with this. Yes, she wanted to be babied, but she was expecting this to come much later in the day; after they finished their errand, not before it! “Now come on, we still need to get some breakfast in you. Off the bed, please.” Reluctantly, Emily stood up, as Joyce got on one knee so Emily could grab her shoulders for balance while she stepped into the yoga pants one leg at a time. “Such a good girl,” Joyce commented as the shirt came next. It was the best being with Joyce like this, but going out in public was hurting her mood right now. She wanted to trust Joyce on this, but the thought seemed far too scary. “See?” Joyce was leading the two out of the room before stopping at the wardrobe mirror. Joyce turned Emily to a side-view and gave her padded bum a pat. “Not even I can tell if you’re diapered. Well, not unless I already know…” Emily stole a quick glance at the mirror for confirmation, and rushed ahead to escape the teasing. Joyce had already prepared breakfast; the sweet smell of butter, sugar, and cinnamon all mixed together and presented on a plate. “French toast?” Emily happily did her best to switch gears; a meal she hadn’t had in the longest time. “Yes it is!” Joyce said as she beamed with positivity, already having Emily’s cut up into bite-sized pieces, and her special coffee drink prepared in her sippy cup. “And I want to see you drink all of your milk for me, okay?” Joyce remembered to offer her the encouragement, just in case if she still had nerves about yesterday. She was already scared of being out in public, she wouldn’t let hydration get the best of her too. “Uh-huh,” Emily said as she already took a sip. She wasn’t keen on drinking as much like she did yesterday, but she already was thirsty like every other morning. In a long, uninterrupted sip, she set the cup down with a long sigh indicating her satisfied thirst. Joyce seemed to be pleased with that, and started to eat her own breakfast in order to get the day started all the sooner. Breakfast was as delicious as usual, but each bite seemed to make Emily’s heart pound faster, as each one would lead her closer and closer to the inevitable. Slowly, but surely, both of their plates (including Emily’s sippy cup) had been wiped clean. Joyce cleared the table and washed the dishes, piecing together how the day would go. “Joyce?” Emily broke her train of thought while she absently scrubbed. “What is it, honey?” “Can we, um, go out some other time?” “And why would we do that when today is perfectly fine?” “Because I don’t want to go out...wearing you know...diapers…” Emily still hadn’t adjusted to using the word very well now that it specifically referred to her. “People will see...it’s embarrassing…” “Emily,” Joyce turned off the faucet and started to dry her hands. “I already told you: no one will be able to tell what you’re wearing underneath your clothes. All we need to do is get your phone replaced, and you already said yourself that you haven’t had one for so long.” “So we can’t stay?” Emily knew she was reaching the end of her rope, and the thought wasn’t as exciting as all the other times it had been; she didn’t derive any pleasure from potentially taking a sledgehammer to her social image. “No, Emily. We’re going out.” It was just so frustrating. Being together with Joyce and how she felt so much like a mother; she had this pressure and these vibes that made her feel so commanding, especially to the currently submissive Emily. There was this excitement she couldn’t describe from being controlled in such a way...but she hated how she couldn’t resist, and that only fed into her more childish parts even more. “Once we’re out and about you’ll see that you’re perfectly fine.” Joyce said, setting a dish towel on the counter. “Emily, I would never put you in danger. The fact that I’m doing this proves that mommy thinks it’s safe for her little girl. I would never let you do something that put you at harm. I’ll be right by your side the whole way. Leave the grownup decisions to the grownups, and you just worry about enjoying yourself. So no more pouting, okay?” Emily only briefly nodded as Joyce walked over to pull her in for a reassuring hug. “Now,” Joyce got on her knee to be at about eye-level with Emily. “Are you gonna put some shoes on for mommy or do I need to do it for you?” She teased. “I can do it…” Emily blushed as she got out of her chair, walking over to the shoe area where Joyce had a pair of casual shoes ready for her; socks included. The little details of making preparations like this behind the scenes were what Emily loved the most. It reinforced the mindset that everything was in Joyce’s control, and Emily was like royalty that had the liberty of being served. She sat down on her padded bum while she slipped the perfect-fitting shoes on and tied their laces. Joyce came a second after with a large handbag slung over her shoulder, putting her shoes on as well. She grabbed two jackets for just in case if it got too cold outside; she needed to be prepared for anything. “Oh, wait, I almost forgot my wallet.” Emily said as she started to walk back to her room. “And why would my little girl be needing a wallet?” Joyce said with a firm but gentle grasp had taken Emily’s wrist. “I need to buy a new phone...right?” What did Emily do wrong? She needed money to buy a phone, after all. “That’s adorable sweetie,” Joyce cooed as she guided Emily back to the door. “But Mommy would never give her baby an allowance.” Emily’s cheeks burned at this remark, feeling smaller with every moment. “Whatever my little Emmy wants she need only ask me for it.” Clearly she was trying to forcibly spoil the girl, but it made Emily feel foolish for not having the foresight to guess something like this would happen. It was annoying how Joyce was using their “roles” to her obvious advantage; forcing her typical agenda but with a babyish twist. But deep down, even though it was against her will, right beside that seed of self-hate for being spoiled was the thrill of being forced into such a circumstance. Joyce was the first to open the door while Emily stood a bit back with hesitation. She started to feel uneasy, as the gravity of going outside was starting to hit her in full effect. She looked down a bit to see the outstretched hand; connected to the arm that led her to her most favorite person in the world right now. “I know it can be scary at first, but once we get moving you’ll see there’s nothing to be afraid of.” Emily clasped Joyce’s hand as she hesitantly took her steps outside of the apartment; dressed underneath as Joyce’s little girl. All she had to do was remember Joyce was there. She was her rock, and she would get her through this. The sound of the door shutting behind her solidified her fears once it was set in stone that they wouldn’t be turning back; the thought only bringing her closer to Joyce. She paid Emily’s affection no mind as the pair stepped onto the elevator and moved to the ground floor. In an effort to relax Emily, with a finger from the hand being held by Emily, she caressed the girl’s palm with her nail; sending a jolt of ticklishness from Emily’s hand, but feeling so nice all the same. The pair walked out of the building to see a black car waiting for them; bigger than the night the two went out to eat. But the chauffeur had not changed, as he held the door open for them while they stepped in. Worries hit the back of Emily’s mind as she stepped in, hoping to God that somehow her diaper never saw the light of day when she was moving. Emily was quickly sent into high gear however when she felt a hand press up against her bottom, feeling a gentle push as she quickly planted herself into a seat. She looked back at the perpetrator with almost daggers, seeing that it was of course Joyce giving her a tease. Annoyed for likely giving the reaction Joyce had hoped for, she looked off out of a window so not to please her any further. “Sorry Emily, I never thought to ask, what kind of provider do you have?” For her cellphone? “Um, T-Mobile?” Emily wasn’t sure if that was the answer she was looking for. “Perfect, same as mine.” Emily looked over to see Joyce press a small button on a speaker that likely contacted the driver through the divider. “Take us to the T-Mobile store first, please.” The car kicked into gear and they were on the move not a second later. Wait, did she say first? 7 - Errands “F-First? What do you mean, Joyce?” Emily couldn’t do much to snuff out the nervousness in her voice. It was already taking every fiber of her being just to make this one trek; to even consider something beyond that was impossible. And as a cruel coincidence, she happened to shuffle her legs as well, emitting the faintest crinkle noise just loud enough for her to pick up on. Joyce had finished raising the divider between them and the driver, valuing the time and privacy she could have with Emily. Nevertheless, she could almost feel the unease radiating from the poor girl. Part of Joyce hated herself for doing this, but unfortunately, this would have to happen at some point or later. Yes, she probably would have adjusted easier if they had a bit more practice at home, but doing this even sooner would help dispel those fears. “Here,” Joyce unbuckled herself from her seat and slid across the leather seats to the trembling Emily. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders and waist, she gave Emily a comforting hug. “Let’s regroup for a moment. I know it’s scary, and you have every right to feel this way because it’s the first time.” “Please Joyce...I think I want to go back…” Emily did need a new phone, but not if the circumstances were this dire. Even she knew her fears were probably getting the best of her, but there was no way she’d willingly put her pride on the line to test that. Emily returned her embrace as her head fell into the space between Joyce’s neck and shoulder. “And that is why we’re doing this. Because after we do it once, you’ll see it’s not so scary after all. After the first time comes the second...then the third...and fourth...and by then, you’ll be as oblivious to what you’re wearing underneath like everyone else around you.” Her words seemed to be having some effect on Emily, but her intuition could still sense her unease. “There was this one time when my parents took me and my brother to a waterpark back in California when we were just kids,” Joyce ran her hand up and down Emily’s shoulder. “And I hated heights with an everloving passion; especially if it was a waterslide. I can’t even remember why we went there in the first place anyways…” Joyce honestly pondered the thought for a small moment. “Regardless,” getting back on track, “there was this one slide I refused to go on. It was the tallest ride in the entire park, and believe me, it was taller than you could ever imagine. There was no convincing me to go down that thing, and it already felt like my heart was going to stop just from looking at that monster.” She tried to rock Emily a little bit. “But little did I know, my feelings would come to change that day; for the slide, at least. My dad somehow convinced me that if I went on that slide right then and there he’d get me some new outfit I wanted. Motivated by greed,” She couldn’t help but laugh at how selfish she sounded. “I got in line for the slide, and the string of people that wrapped around and up the stairs was getting shorter and shorter. I honestly thought I was going to die before I even got to the stairs!” Joyce let out a snicker. “But sure enough, I didn’t die; which I probably thought would have been a better end than dying from the waterslide...But with no turning back, I had to sit down on the slide and get moving. It was like when the rollercoaster slowly climbs to the top of a big drop, with the suspense as the water was carrying me into the dark tube...It all happened so fast, and as I picked up speed, and I twisted and turned,” She started making wavy gestures with her hands. “I was screaming for maybe like a solid five seconds! But after that, after I had reached top speed and could see everything moving a mile a minute, I was excited. What scared me so much at first became probably the funnest thing I had ever done, funnily enough. But what my point is,” Joyce pulled Emily back a bit to meet her eye to eye. “Is that once you overcome your fears, you see the same exact things in a whole new light. To this day, I love going on waterslides now, even though I haven’t been to one in nearly two decades…” She started to dwell on the smaller bits again. “But what I’m trying to tell you though, is that once you get over your fears from this, you might discover something about yourself you never even thought was possible. We had fun together at home, didn’t we?” Breaking from her motherly gaze, Emily nodded with an odd blush as she shuffled her legs. She did have fun, but that was different from being in the public eye; being in an overwhelmingly vulnerable position. She was convinced by the pleasure of being in someone else’s absolute care, but taking it to a public place put it on an entirely new level she was uncertain of. “And what’s to stop us from having fun today? Don’t even think about yourself wearing a diaper in public. Believe it or not, people do it all the time, and no one notices. I know this is supposed to be mommy and her little girl, but if it helps, just think of it as us running errands; Emily and Joyce going out together to do some things.” Joyce was aware she might be hurting the atmosphere she’d worked to create this morning, but it was much more important to get Emily in the water before she even thought about turning up the heat. Yes, this is a big change for her, but they’d need to start small before beginning to move by leaps and bounds. It once again felt wrong to rely on someone else so heavily as an adult, but this was something Joyce wanted and it was a form of comfort Emily wasn’t going to refuse at a time like this. “Are you being serious when you say no one can see it?” Of course, she knew Joyce would likely never lie to her about something like this. “Emily, you should know better by now,” Joyce pulled her back in for one last quick hug. “I will NEVER put you at risk. You’re simply too precious to even try!” She released her grasp from the smothered girl, who was unable to hide a telling smile. “Only you will think it’s visible, and the only people who will know are you and me, especially because I’m the one that taped you in one!” The remark sparked smiles from both of them. And even if someone did find out, they’d have to have only half a brain to actually say something about it; lest they face Joyce’s rath for even trying to cause harm to her little girl...But it shouldn’t even come to that, as Emily was only her baby girl in name. No one would be the wiser if they saw her in a regular medical diaper; they’d probably think she needs them. To Joyce, this was a healthy rationalization, but she wouldn’t bring it up to Emily. If that’d happen it would mean her cover being blown, and she’d already alarmed her enough. “And in the midst of our little chit-chat, it would seem we have arrived at our destination!” Emily’s soak in the loving atmosphere was disrupted as the side door opened; the cool breeze of reality striking her warm cheeks. Quickly remembering her fears, however, her heart started a jog as she could already see groups of people walking about from inside the car. “Emmy-hon,” Joyce called to her attention with an outstretched hand. “Trust me?” Emily returned the gesture and clasped her palm, stepping out of the car. Sure enough, the city was like it was most of the time; cold. Even while she wore a long-sleeve, it wasn’t much for the piercing chill. And with her thoughts in tune with her body language, Joyce already started to slip one of the jackets she brought on her. “Sorry, I knew I should have probably put you in a thicker material...Better now?” Not bothering to consider if she were stepping over the line as far as public concern goes, Joyce finished the job with an audible zip from top to bottom. “Um…” It still wasn’t easy openly appreciating these sorts of things. “Yeah, thanks.” “Now let’s get moving. I don’t want to be out in the cold so much either…” Joyce took her by the hand and led her down the sidewalk and into the considerably warmer store. Emily could feel the thicker underwear make her initial steps a little awkward at first, but it was nothing she couldn’t adapt to. However, the fleeting thought of someone catching her in diapers never seemed to leave her mind, and the thought was terrifying. Thankfully, Joyce was here to prevent that from happening. Phone displays lined across flat tables, and advertisements decorated the walls; plenty of people were inside for likely the same reason as them. The floor inside was carpeted; if you could even call it that though. In comparison to the carpets at Joyce’s place they were certainly a far cry. They may as well have coated the ground in concrete and called it a day. Industrial carpeting was the worst, and it only made Emily think of home. “See?” Joyce lowered her voice to a more personal level. “You’re out in public right now? No one is the wiser, Emily.” While she didn’t like the thought being refreshed in her mind, Joyce was right; even if she had baseless doubts. “So?” Joyce looked at Emily expectantly, who didn’t seem to pick up on what she was alluding towards. “So...what?” Emily replied with a puzzled look. “Well, why do you think we’re here?” Joyce smirked, watching her face to see when it clicked. “What phone are we getting you?” Right. Even Emily had to admit was a little bit silly for not realizing that, but in her defense, it felt far too casual to just up and get a brand new phone. Getting something “new” happened maybe once or twice a year and a fair deal of research beforehand; not one day after the next. Emily walked over to one of the empty tables, unintentionally looking over the latest set of smartphones. “Jeez, why do these things jump in price so much every year?” She quietly muttered as she looked them over. She glanced at the price of a new Samsung phone, but apparently it was some kind of sale, because all she could see were two familiar fingers covering the space. She followed the hand and arm they were connected to, ending the search at the face of Joyce, who was playfully smiling. “Joyce…” Emily slightly groaned, already knowing what she was getting at. But even still, this felt like she was going too far. “Ah-ah! I’ll have none of it. As I remember, I’m the one who holds the purse strings. And besides…” Joyce leaned in close to Emily’s ear with a whisper. “Don’t you remember what mommy said before we left the house? My little girl need only ask for anything she wants. A-ny-thing!” On cue, Emily suddenly found her emotions were much too frazzled to keep still. She knew Joyce wasn’t kidding, even though she felt terrible for taking advantage of an opportunity like this. But Joyce didn’t see it that way, and that was the toughest part for Emily to stomach. “Emmy, I like to kid, but I’m not lying. I don’t want you looking at any price tags. You need only ask and so it shall be. Don’t hold back and get what you like the most.” After learning from past experiences to choose her battles wisely, Emily conceded early on this time, turning back to the displays. She only spent about ten minutes dwelling over a final decision; nothing here was exactly a downgrade. Despite what Joyce had told her, there was still no way she’d be picking out the most expensive thing; even if she was to be spoiled. But she also knew that Joyce would call her out on her own stinginess, so she settled on the second runner up from the latest line. And to be fair, almost anything on this table would beat her now broken smartphone; be it in almost every regard. “I’ll get this one then.” Emily pointed out the device to Joyce. She looked at her for confirmation, seeing her raised brow, likely deducing that Emily wasn’t being completely honest with herself. “Okay, then we’ll get that one.” Joyce didn’t pry on her this time, trying in her own way to understand Emily’s feelings. Maybe it was good she was showing restraint? Still, Joyce would hope that at some point she could do away with being so reluctant. “Let’s go up to the counter so we can get your SIM card switched onto your new phone.” The pair walked up to the service desk at the other end of the store where another customer was already in front of them, much to Emily’s dismay. Waiting was usually never an issue for the girl, but given the circumstances with what she was wearing, it was hard for her heart not to beat out of her chest in anticipation; each and every moment in the limelight being another opportunity to be exposed. Whenever she made the slightest shift in her posture, Emily could hear the faintest crinkle, with constant fear wondering which one would be her last. “Home stretch, kiddo.” Joyce comforted, being the one who was consistently pulling Emily out of her pit of despair. “These sorts of things always take forever, you know what I mean?” “Mm.” Emily somewhat mumbled as she was near completely focused on the task at hand. “Don’t worry, the less you think about the clock, the faster time flies by. Keep your mind on getting back to the nice and warm car. It’s a bit too cold out here for my tastes, and I’m sure that goes for you too.” Joyce laughed. It would be a lie if Emily said she wasn’t looking forward to getting back in the car. Most certainly it would be warmer than in this store, but there she’d be able to relish in her privacy--pseudo privacy--taking Joyce into account. But she was...an exception. As reassurance to herself, Emily pulled the hem of her pants up every now and then, wondering when the person in front of them would finally be finished. The bulk around her legs made her feel completely and totally out of her element. There was certainly a truth to Joyce’s earlier statement; stuff like this seemed to take forever...Finally though, the man had been dealt with and he was on his way, leading Emily and Joyce to the front of the line. “Hi, how can I help you guys today?” The worker chirped from behind the desk. “Hi, my friend’s phone here broke recently, and we’re looking to get her a new one and hopefully her SIM card switched over?” Joyce started, taking charge of the conversation without skipping a beat. “Okay, that shouldn’t be an issue. What phone are you looking to get?” He asked without expecting a reply from either one in particular. A moment of silence passed by for a second, until Emily who was taking a backseat realized Joyce was tagging her in. Trying not to blush over her lack of social awareness, Emily was quick to say, “Oh! Uh, a Samsung Galaxy S…” the number seemed to have left her head as she was put on the spot so suddenly. “A...uhm, sorry I uh-” “I think it was the eight, wasn’t it?” Joyce jumped in to her rescue. “Ah, right that was the one. Sorry, I forgot…” Emily somewhat trailed off. Suddenly thinking to herself that it was the seven she intended to get, and she’d just created the perfect opportunity for Joyce to further spoil the hesitant girl. And feeling like a child enough already, Emily couldn’t find the courage to rebuttal, finding it easier to simply give in; some part inside of her busy, tingling over the fact that Joyce was taking charge. “Awesome! If you can just put the old phone on the counter I can just pull up your account…” The man started to explain as he typed away on a computer. “Just to verify, could I get your first and last name, a birthdate, and your phone number?” Tuned in on the conversation this time, Emily provided all the information in an orderly fashion, still chastising herself over her blunder not a few moments earlier. He probably thought she had a loose screw, or something. There’d be no question in his mind after he saw what she was wearing underneath... “Yep, everything checks out and I’ve got you pulled up right here. By switching the SIM card you can keep your texts and contacts, but for your photos we’d need the damaged phone to be able to turn on if we were to do it today. Can you still get it on?” “Ah, no. It doesn’t. But that’s fine though, really. I don’t need anything else other than my contacts and texts.” While there were some photos on her old phone, it’s not like any of them were of any importance. Anything that was would be in virtual storage so that something like this couldn’t jeopardize them. “Okay, and how do you plan on paying for the phone? There’s a few different plans we could put you on to pay for the phone at a reduced price? If I could-” “Actually,” Joyce politely interrupted, “We’ll be paying for the whole thing upfront.” “That works too,” He seemed to pay no mind about his sales pitch being shot down. “Let me just head to the back and grab your new phone.” Leaving the front to his coworker, the man disappeared through a doorway further back while Emily and Joyce were left to wait. “I thought I said the seven?” Emily said with a tinge of complaint in her voice, stressing over the few hundreds Joyce just added to the bill. “Seven? Eight? What’s the difference?” Wouldn’t that logic work both ways? “Besides, when you’re given the opportunity to get a new toy, I expect you to get a good one sweetie.” The latter half of her statement came off only in earshot, reminding Emily of that ticklish feeling she got; being looked down on with such a loving gaze. Emily didn’t challenge her remark after that, as the man who had been helping them returned soon after with a white handheld box. “Here it is,” he smiled as he typed something quickly on the computer. “Before I can do the transfer though you need to actually buy the phone first, so will that be with cash or a card?” “Card.” The motherly one of the two already had a black card ready, redepositing it into her bag after a quick swipe. Without a hitch the payment went through, and the man was already using a blade on his keyring to slice the thin layer of plastic encasing the expensive piece of technology. “Now if I could just see the other phone please?” Clearly well-versed in this type of thing, he already had the new phone unwrapped and its SIM card slot popped open. Joyce pulled out Emily’s damaged phone which she hadn’t since that fateful night, eyeing its cracked and lifeless screen. The reflective face had clearly lost some of itself at some point, and one of the corners looked a little bit worse for wear too. The worker popped it open, retrieving the tiny chip as he slipped it into the new phone and was already powering it up. After about ten minutes of setup, he placed the phone on the counter towards the two, almost as if he were unsure of who to hand it to… “You should be good to go. Your contacts and texts are on there and your number will work with that phone. Is there anything else I can do for you today?” “No thank you, that should be everything.” Emily picked up the phone for a moment, looking it over in all its new glory. She forgot what it was like to have a new phone...granted, the idea of “new” was starting to lose its novelty the more she stuck around Joyce, as she was consistently showered in gifts. “Then have a good day and enjoy the new phone!” He happily bid them off as the two walked out of the store. Sure enough, Charles, as Emily remembered, was waiting in the parked car as they had left it next to a running meter. Joyce pulled open the door for Emily as she slipped in, Joyce following suit, shutting the door behind her. The two were once more enveloped in an atmosphere of warmth. “Brrrr! Ah! So much better in here, don’t you think?” Joyce gave Emily’s further shoulder a rub as they soaked in the heated car. “Yeah…” Was all Emily said as she laid back and was relieved to have been returned to her oasis, once again hidden from the public eye and safe. “But see what I mean?” “See what?” “You, silly! You did just fine in there! My brave little girl! I’ll have to do something special for you for being so good in there.” Joyce’s brain was already turning gears, as Emily sat in disbelief; trying to process how a near-thousand dollar phone didn’t constitute a treat enough already. “What did I tell you though; no one found out, right?” Emily couldn’t deny this, but it’s not like it made the sidewalks feel much safer to roam. “No...no one did.” She admitted. “And I know it was this time, but it’ll be even less scary the next.” For her own sake, Emily hoped this was true, and the less thought she put into it it would likely be the better. “So can we go home now?” Emily pleaded as she looked towards Joyce with hopeful eyes. Sure, she was proud over her feat; going to the store, but that trip in itself already felt exhausting. Despite this, Emily’s stare was returned with a sad smile on Joyce’s face. “Oh honey…” it pained Joyce to do this to her little girl, but with another important errand having to be run and more valuable experience for Emily, they couldn’t turn around just yet. “There’s more?” She sounded almost as if her puppy died; already dreading what was to come. And admittedly, she felt foolish for only remembering now that Joyce already told her earlier. “We have to make one more stop before we can call it quits today, then we can go home and relax. I promise.” What else could they have to do? Not that Emily wanted to be a wrench in Joyce’s plans, but for her first time outside doing something like this, it was already taxing enough. “Okay…” Emily conceded as the car already kicked into motion, seeming to already know where they were already headed next. “Then can I at least stay in the car while you do what you need to do?” “And leave my baby girl all by herself?” Joyce felt bad for denying her this as well. “Sorry, but I need to keep you close by at all times. That’d be irresponsible of mommy after all.” Emily’s coming reply quickly melted at the mention of the word “mommy,” as it seemed to be her kryptonite; creating a mix of feelings within her that made her puddy in Joyce’s hands. And apparently Charles wasn’t a factor in the equation, as his hands were probably tied up enough watching the car, Emily reasoned. But she knew she herself was a grown adult, and this just fell under their roleplay. Yet, deep down...Emily couldn’t help but feel like a kid in this moment... “Besides, this other important errand still very much involves you sweetie.” Joyce chuckled as she checked her phone for a brief moment. It did? Suddenly, a new stir of emotions erupted within Emily, as she only grew more anxious over what else possibly needed to be done. And didn’t she say it was for Joyce and not her? “Don’t put so much thought into it silly,” Joyce slid Emily across the seats and into her side. “Do me a favor and try to get some of your energy back while we drive there, okay?” A faint feeling a happiness to oblige, Emily ignored the use of a seatbelt as Joyce positioned her head to fall on her lap, gently stroking her hair. Travelling through the city streets shouldn’t pose a problem as they never reached a dangerous speed; near bumper to bumper traffic at times like these. Combined with that and the distance to drive, the two would have a little downtime to bond before they’d make it to Joyce’s seamstress. “Try and sleep a little for me. I know I may have woken you up a tad bit early today, so use this time to make up for that.” In a faint and soft voice, Joyce began her melodic hum that Emily was almost like a recurring hypnosis. In this moment, her adult self seemed to shed away as the sound of music stripped her bare and left only a tiny piece of her behind; the smaller side of her that was everything which Joyce embraced. While Emily quickly dozed off, Joyce grabbed the phone lying on the leather seat and slipped it into her bag for safe keeping; soaking in the moment herself as Joyce only grew evermore ecstatic over the moment she now shared with Emily. What they had was something special and likely becoming irreplaceable in Joyce’s heart, wishing for this moment to last forever. “Wakey wakey, honey.” Joyce cooed down towards Emily, who had done her job well, managing to sleep the entire ride. “You’re like a little cat, aren’t you?” She joked. “I always seem to catch you sleeping…” Joyce stared at her for a few moments, as Emily was still trying to fully wake up and collect herself. “Morning…” Was all Emily could say as she rubbed her eyes, seeing part of Joyce’s face above her just past her bosom; the sun emerging from the clouds. Emily could feel a slight tinge in her bladder, but she was too tired to really think anything of it. “Can you sit up for me?” Joyce asked while she already started to guide Emily back up on her feet. “Let’s head inside and get done what we need to do, okay?” Still few for words, Emily nodded as they hopped out of the car with her jacket back on, the sudden chill being a wakeup call to her recently finished nap. “So where are we?” She found it in herself to speak again, looking at the store in front of them. Certainly an extravagant-looking type of place, its exterior was decorated in carved wood and brick. as two large display windows showed off a few decorated mannequins. The way the front was designed almost made it look like a well-kept colonial era exterior. “We’re here to see my seamstress.” Joyce said as she walked up the couple cement steps to the door and pulled it open for Emily. “Well, our seamstress now, I suppose.” She smiled. “But I already have clothes you know? Back at my ex’s apartment.” She’d almost forgotten about her old life before she met Joyce. She didn’t need Joyce spending even more money on her over something she already had; something she should go and get. “A girl’s wardrobe never stops expanding, you know?” Joyce poked as they walked across the polished floor. The store had an awfully Victorian theme to its interior. A few couches made of dark red fabric proudly stood on the other side of the dividing wall in the entrance, pointed towards a stained wooden coffee table as the walls were decorated in wooden accents with dark green to fill in the gaps. Almost an entire wall was occupied by stored rolls of fabric, cloth, and other materials. While the store gave Emily vibes of an outdated setting, the place couldn’t help but feel new and well-kept at the same time. “Amy? Hello?” Joyce called out to the quiet shop as they approached the unmanned wooden desk. On top of it was a lone call bell which she pressed down on, waiting to be serviced. Only a few moments went by until someone emerged from the room behind the desk, as a woman approached the two. “Joyce! Back so soon?” Amy leaned over the counter to give her friend a hug. “Good to see you Amy! I was hoping I could arrange a special order?” “Bien sûr my friend!” Amy laughed as she turned her gaze over to Emily. While she eyed the girl, Emily did the same to her. Her black hair tied back in a bun, and she adjusted her rimmed glasses as she asked, “And who might this be? In all the years we’ve done business together Joyce I haven’t known you to be so social…” Her eyes were almost like a playful predator; inspecting its next meal. “This is Emily,” Joyce introduced. “She was the one I had you make adjustments for last week? “Well now that I can see her in the flesh, I suppose she matches the estimates you gave me the first time around. But if we’re to do things properly I’ll need to take a closer look this time around. Where are my manners though? A pleasure to meet you, Emily.” Amy outstretched her hand and Emily politely returned the shake. “Let me take you two into the back. We can get more comfy in there. I never really do much business out here, would you believe.” Amy lifted a panel on the side of her desk, allowing the pair to walk behind and follow her into the room she came out of. The room was a bit more spacious and carpeted as they walked in. A light fixture hung from the high ceiling, as there was another set of couches and table in the corner of the room. Next to that was almost a pedestal raised off the ground, 180 degrees of it being exposed to mirrors; visible from as many angles as possible. There was a set of stairs leading upstairs, but Amy sat them down on the couches. “Can I interest either of you in some coffee before we get started?” She offered while they slipped off their jackets. “Sure, I could go for some. I’m sure Emily could too.” Joyce answered for them. “Ah, yeah, thanks.” Emily awkwardly chimed in. For some baseless reason she felt it were almost better not to say anything. “Emily, how do you take yours?” Amy asked. She took down the information, then walked up the stairs, leaving the two in the company of themselves. “This store reminds me of…” Emily was trying to find the word. “An antique?” Joyce offered, having known what it was like once trying to describe this place. “Kinda, I suppose.” She still didn’t know if that entirely captured the atmosphere. “I like it though,” Joyce said, looking the room over. “It feels very homey, I guess. Comfortable at the very least.” Emily nodded in agreeance. It actually made her think of that one painting; the room with all of the dogs playing poker. It was a silly comparison, but she had no other immediate thing to draw it to. Suddenly, Emily felt another pang in her bladder, knowing that nature was calling. It wasn’t pressing, but it would be soon enough. “Uhm, Joyce?” Emily asked. “What is it hon?” “I...need to use the ba-” “Sorry for the wait!” Amy interrupted as she returned with a platter of steaming mugs. “Ah…” Joyce turned to Amy then back at Emily for a second who had just been cut off, yet the look on her face said she didn’t feel like saying it anymore. Not with the extra company. “Thank you.” Joyce said as she was handed her cup and then Emily hers. Between mostly Amy and Joyce, the two engaged in small talk while they drank, Emily occasionally jumping in, but mostly taking a backseat to their already well-developed chemistry. And while they talked, Emily suddenly became conflicted over what she said before Amy came back. What was she going to have done whether she told Joyce she needed to use the bathroom or not? She was wearing a...diaper, and was now having second thoughts about if Joyce’s knowing could be any help to her or not. Was she even allowed to take it off? She wanted to go and use the toilet, but that would mean having nothing to wear underneath, probably. She figured the tapes were a one-time policy. Joyce likely didn’t bring any extra changes with her, expecting her to never actually use the damn thing...Or was that was she wanted? Emily wasn’t sure whether to trust in herself or in Joyce, and the thought of displeasing the woman she was already so indebted to was terrifying. Not because of the potential anger, but the slightest disappointment she might feel. After everything, she only wanted to make Joyce happy, and was stunned at how the feeling was mutual. That being said, it was still impossibly difficult to do; to defy second nature. “Are we ready to get down to business then?” Amy set down her mostly finished mug, grabbing a small kit from her computer desk in the corner. “Let’s start with your numbers so I can get them down in my book, please.” Emily stood up from the couch and walked to the center of the room where Amy waited with her tape measure. “Could you slip off your shoes for me, please? Makes for a better reading on your height.” Amy chuckled as Emily quickly slipped them off, feeling stupid for not having realized herself. “And no need to take anything else off. Your clothes seem to be tight-fitting enough to get the gist of it...A small margin of error, if need be.” Emily couldn’t help but feel off at that last remark; doing her best to chalk it up as more senseless fear. While it did feel extremely uncomfortable to have someone so close with such a dark secret taped around her waist, she could only hope she was in safe hands. “That should do it. Easy part’s over.” Amy rolled her measuring tape after getting the last measurement on her waist, writing the numbers down in her notebook. “Now let’s really get down to brass tax,” Amy sat down and pulled out a large sketchbook. “What do we have in mind?” She looked at Emily expectantly. “Er, actually I uh-” “I’ll be the one submitting the order.” Joyce filled in for Emily. “Oh? She won’t be deciding?” Amy raised a brow. “Call it a...surprise.” Joyce said, trying to find the best words for it. “Actually, I was hoping we could have Emily wait somewhere to give us a bit more privacy?” She felt bad for dismissing Emily like this, but knew it would be in their best interests to do it this way. “I wouldn’t mind if she stayed upstairs...?” Amy found the situation a bit strange herself, but maintained her all-business composure. “You wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise, would you Emmy?” Joyce asked Emily with a look of confirmation; the kind that already knew what the answer would be. Hearing her pet name made Emily gush a little bit, politely nodding as she stood up. “Make yourself at home upstairs. A friend of Joyce’s is a friend of mine.” Amy smiled as Emily walked over to the stairs. “I’ll come get you once we’re done.” Joyce gave her loving smile; enough to confidently send Emily off. Nodding in reply, she walked up the stairs and opened a wooden door into an apartment. From first looks, it was in much contrast to what was below. Rather than the Victorian theme she was going for downstairs, Amy’s home was a much more industrial and modern looking type of decor. Though the store was empty downstairs, clearly the woman did well for herself like Joyce, as her white couch splayed across the hardwood floor, parallel to a mounted tv. While not as big of a home as Joyce’s, she worked with what she had as it was an open-concept type, being able to see from the kitchen to the living room. Curiously, Emily ran her hand across the exposed brick, marveling at the lights suspended from thick, dark, wooden beams. Sitting on the couch, Emily picked up the nearby remote and turned the tv on. Coming to life with a higher volume than expected, she quickly lowered it in a small panic, lest she disturbs Joyce and Amy’s business downstairs. Speaking of which, the curiosity seemed to be getting to her. While Joyce was likely having regular outfits be made for her, she never said why or what they’d be. She did know that she had clothes, right? Just that they weren’t on her at the moment...She would have to go and get them soon; or have a friend do it. Without any shoes on, she lounged out on the couch and quietly entertained herself, almost feeling as if she were at Joyce’s place. Eyes focused on the moving pictures, Emily didn’t pay much mind to the sudden movement she felt on the far end of the couch. Only until after a near minute did something compel her to look in the direction of whatever moved. Standing still as the two met eyes, she stared back into the gaze of a gray black-nosed cat, the fur on its paws that of charcoal as well; its tail only making a slight movement. Amy has a cat? She didn’t remember hearing anything about one...not that she totally expected to, since she was more or less a stranger to her. As the two blankly eyed each other, Emily awkwardly gave some nod of confirmation, as if to try and communicate without scaring the tiny creature off. Trying not to move a muscle for some reason, Emily watched as the cat crept its way closer to her, eventually getting as far as stepping over her legs, until they were about a foot from each other's faces, close enough to touch the cat’s whiskers. “Uhh...hi there?” The cat slightly recoiled at the sudden reaction, taking a step back so to flee at a moment’s notice. But with another pause, it came back towards Emily yet slightly closer this time. The cat’s nose twitched as it smelled Emily. After slightly more inspection, it seemed to scout the immediate area for a moment, then planted itself against her stomach. “O...kay?” Emily quietly accepted the situation; unsure what to make of what was happening. Looking back to the tv and trying to adjust to her unexpected company, she calmly petted the silent creature as it let out a low purr with each and every stroke. Some time went by as the newly acquainted friends enjoyed their current positions, able to unwind and simply disconnect. Eyeing the nearby clock, Emily was wondering when they would be done. Not that she was completely bored, but she would like to get going soon. Her train of thought was interrupted though by a stronger pressure in her bladder, something this time she wouldn’t be able to ignore. “Damn…” Emily bit her bottom lip as she knew what was to come. Hesitantly, Emily politely excused herself from the couch without trying to disrupt her tiny friend, as she walked nearby the kitchen to search for a toilet. Turning around, she could see the cat had left its spot to follow her in tow; willing to give chase. The more she moved, the more she realized how badly she needed to pee. Having coffee probably wasn’t such a good idea after all...but maybe it was because Joyce was planning for something like this…? The lines were often so blurred, Emily never knew what was calculated or simple coincidence around Joyce. Soon her efforts paid off as she found the porcelain throne she was looking for, turning the light on and shutting out the cat for some privacy. She lifted the toilet seat and turned to sit her bottom down on it, only realizing her complete foolishness when her fingers made contact with the waistband of her diaper. Freezing in place, mid squat, it became apparent how her entire plan came crashing down as her biggest oversight was that she was already wearing her bathroom. “Come on…!” Her voice started to whine as she pulled the front band of her pants forward to get a good look at what she was confined in. “Please Joyce...don’t make me…!” Emily could feel herself on the verge of tears knowing what the inevitable would be. Almost every part of her wanted to rip the damn thing off and use the toilet like a normal person, yet that would mean she disobey Joyce, and she wanted to do anything she could to keep her happy. At a crossroads, Emily was faced with the decision to either reaffirm her bond with Joyce, and wet herself in somebody else’s home, or to give in to her adult desires and escape infancy; escape Joyce. The uncertainty was crippling as she didn’t know what to do, and time was running out; fast. “Joyce…” Was all she could moan. Amy and Joyce both looked towards the stairs Emily just finished walking up, and they both heard the click from the door both opening and closing. “So how did you find yourself a thing as cute as her?” Amy asked, taking a sip from her drink. “It’s a bit interesting how we met, I suppose. Not your usual circumstances…” Joyce pondered the thought while she finished off her coffee as well. “But...she’s nice. She’s a good,” Joyce paused for the slightest moment. “Friend.” suddenly finding the right word. Amy couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the subtle misstep in her speech, but let it go for now. “I’d love to know more about her later. She didn’t seem very social when she was down here?” “Oh please, try and be in her shoes, won’t you? She’s still getting used to being with me, and I just introduced her to you today. Something like that can be intimidating for her; for anyone.” Joyce let the words flow so casually with her relaxed guard, she didn’t put too much thought into her choice of words around Amy, whose interest was only becoming more piqued by the second. “Getting used to you?” Amy laughed, “And you almost speak about her like she’s a kid? Reel back the maternal instinct my friend!” Amy laughed some more, and quickly stopped herself once she could see from one friend to another Joyce suddenly tensed a bit. “Oh?” Amy curiously popped the bubble of silence in the room. “I’m here for business, can we please get down to it?” Joyce seemed a bit more focused now, trying to make it clear she was ready to move things along. “Of course, Joyce. And as you know we’re strictly about confidentiality here, for all intents and purposes.” She stressed a bit on the “all,” hoping to regain some of her trust again. “Now I need to know, what are we looking to get done today? I’ll need you to at least tell me that.” Joyce looked at Amy as if she were debating something in her mind; whether to speak or not. “Amy, as both your friend and client, I need you to know how important it is something like this doesn’t get out.” “And like I already said, what goes on between me and my clients are behind closed doors. Be it for business, socializing, intimacy...or maybe something that falls into a more miscellaneous category. But for that to happen, I need you to trust me. I’d like to think we’re good friends, don’t you?” Joyce let out a deep sigh, as she finally found her resolve to come forward. “Emily...and I have something special.” Joyce chose her words carefully. “What she’s doing for me is something so...genuine, that money could never hope to buy it; it’s priceless.” Amy sat quietly listening on. “And for that reason I want to help deepen our bond by making the time we spend together more special…” Even she knew she was dancing around the real words she wanted to get to. “Are you two practicing something together that’s a bit more...off the deep end?” “What? No! Why would you even…?” Joyce suddenly retorted as she realized her own outburst. It felt like Amy was suggesting some sexual kink they had for each other, and it almost felt insulting to have something as pure as they did be branded in such a fashion. Not that kinks were bad, just that Joyce would never want something like this to be misunderstood. “I care for Emily...like one of my own. And she’s been willing to let me,” She took a brief pause. “Indulge, myself, in taking care of her. But I want to take it even further, and make it even more real and genuine; for the both of us.” Joyce kneaded her hands as she found the courage to get the point across. “I would have never come to you for something like this if I couldn’t have trusted you, you know.” “I understand.” Amy smiled as she got the gist of what Joyce was trying to say. She’d never seen one of her longtime clients be so flustered like this before, and to make a request of this kind. She never figured Joyce to be the type...Though, no book can ever truly be judged by its cover. Case and point a few other clients she had in mind… “Okay. But if you’ll allow me to, I just want to confirm the kind of clothes were looking to make for her here.” Joyce nodded. “We’re looking to start a more ‘infantile’ wardrobe for Emily?” Joyce almost thought not to, a small voice from inside trying to hide such crucial information, but nodded once more, feeling easier with each moment the secret lay out in the open. “And I would imagine we need to keep in mind that she won’t be wearing traditional underwear underneath? If you understand what I’m getting at?” Even more reluctantly, Joyce nodded her head again. “Okay…” Amy jotted down a few notes in a notebook. “And just so I can keep her measurements as accurate as possible, she was wearing a diaper earlier when I took down her numbers, correct? They come to be a bit thicker than normal panties, so it’d help if I knew whether or not to take off an inch.” This seemed to be a tougher pill to swallow for Joyce. While it was one thing to speak about their relationship, it still felt like an even greater disservice to throw Emily under the bus like that. Without a response, Amy said blankly “I’ll take that as a yes then. It’s my job as a seamstress to pick up on these kinds of things, you know. Besides, I think she smells wonderful anyways.” Amy alluded to the powdery scent from Emily’s nether regions, which Joyce felt a slight jab from the remark. She tried to take it in stride though, knowing there was no malice. “But Joyce,” Amy set down her pen and clasped her friend’s hands. “I want to say this one last time so we can be on the same page: I need you to trust in me so we can make this the most fulfilling experience possible. If not for me, think about Emily. You’d want her to look her best, right? Be honest with me like you always have been, and with my pride as a seamstress on the line, let’s make Emily look adorable, okay?” Feeling better with this in mind, Joyce’s internal conflict was washed over by a small smile, finally able to focus on the task at hand once more. “So what are we looking to design for her exactly?” Amy asked. “I was hoping to get a brief wardrobe...for starters.” Joyce spoke with a bit more ease. “Alright, so some outfits for the day, and sleepwear for the night? We’ll keep it basic for now.” “I want her to have outfits she can wear around the house and some pajamas. Nothing for outside.” “Are you sure? I understand keeping her out of the public eye, but with you and your connections, I’m sure it’d be more than possible to pull a few strings to get her some privacy outside...” “Maybe, but I don’t want to force something like that onto her...not for a bit, at least.” The thought of how Emily could and would progress admittedly excited Joyce. “Mhm…” Amy nodded her head as she looked down at her growing list of notes. “How about a few onesies then? I’m sure those could work for her.” Joyce agreed, jumping at the sound of her suggestion; at least Amy had the bravery to speak them. “Definitely. That would be perfect.” “And how do you want the flap to work? We could do snaps or buttons, on the front, back or bottom?” “The back will work.” Joyce said, already with a vague image in mind. She knew it wasn’t as conventional, but she figured it’d be best to keep the buttons out of Emily’s line of sight for a better effect. “And do you have any patterns or colors in mind?” Amy asked with her pen ready. “Stripes. Possibly a pink-themed one and a light-green version?” The two colors didn’t mix very well together, but come separately and they would both complement the girl quite nicely. “So I’ll draft up two onesies, and that should be enough of those to begin with, right? Is she like this every day?” “No, she isn’t. That should be enough there.” Joyce couldn’t help but say that last bit somewhat longingly, as her fantasies only let her speculate the unlikely. “Then let’s top it off with at least one more outfit; maybe something like a dress to move about in? A sundress?” Joyce nodded in agreeance, happy to know Amy was strangely onpoint with this sort of thing. It was just like this with her regular orders, only now under a different theme. “We can go for the general design, but what I can do for her is add in a support for her? Kind of like how a onesie will support her bottom, only that the dress will do the same thing. It’ll cover whatever she’s wearing underneath, but depending on what you put her in and how short the skirt of the dress is, I can’t promise anything about a bulge. “I understand, that should be fine.” Joyce kept reminding herself that she’d be the only one seeing Emily in her grand spectacle, which made the drafting process much more easy, and creative. “And speaking of skirt length, how long do you want it to be?” “Maybe a bit past the halfway point on her thighs. I don’t want it to get in the way too much. And I’ll leave the rest of the design up to you.” “Okay, then that should finish off her playwear. Now what about something to sleep in? Onesies work both ways for play and sleep, but I’d imagine you want something a bit more?” “Sleepers.” Joyce quickly said, already having it in mind. “That was fast,” Amy couldn’t help but grin over the response time. “I take it we’ll do a zipper design?” “Yes, a zipper should be fine. I want two sleepers, actually. One where she can reach the zipper on her own...and one where she can’t…” “Oh?” Amy was slightly curious about the variation, but knew it wasn’t her place to ask for details. “Not to punish her, of course. Just to…’help’ her be a little more dependent…” Joyce crossed her fingers, finding it a little difficult to be expressive about the topic again. “And do you want them to cover her feet or hands?” “No for both; it’d probably feel too restricting then.” “I’d have to agree with that,” Amy blankly added as she wrote some more information down. “She likes to get her shuteye a bit, almost like a cat.” Joyce openly laughed, stewing over all the moments she’d catch her sleeping. “In that case I might as well give her sleepers a hood with little cat ears.” Amy laughed as she was happy to see Joyce finally be much less tense about the subject. “Really? You could?” Unintentionally Amy realized she struck a chord with Joyce on that one, even though she wasn’t being completely serious. “Well, I guess there wouldn’t be a problem with it, if you want me to?” Joyce nodded again, failing a bit to hide the excitement and glimmer in her eyes. “I’ll make them detachable, if you or she doesn’t want them on. And with everything here, I’ll make sure they’re adaptable in all the right places to keep a good fit on her. How about we stop there so I can work with what we have, regroup, make any changes that need to be done, and move from there?” “Thank you, Amy! Really, I mean it.” “Happy to help both a customer and a friend.” The topic of business quickly derailed into more small talk about themselves and what kind of person Emily was like. Somewhat surprised at how Joyce could gush over someone like that, Amy was amused as she’d seen a totally new side to her friend. Sure, she’d always been upbeat, or at least normal, when they talked, but never had she been like...well, this. The sudden emotion, the passion in her expressions, words and actions seemed to carry a different sense of flare to them. Almost like she was inspired? Maybe that wasn’t the right word... Checking her watch though, Amy interrupted their talk as it had seemed to have gone on for long enough. “It’s always fun chatting with you, but I think we’ve kept Emily waiting long enough?” “You’re right, I want to get her home. She wasn’t exactly excited to come here after getting a new phone. It’s her first day out wearing a...you know, and I’m trying to build up her confidence to be a bit more outgoing with them.” And then Joyce suddenly remembered what Emily was trying to ask her about a while earlier; connecting the dots to realize maybe it was a bathroom she meant? Now with a mental note to check on a certain something when she saw Emily, the two walked up the stairs into Amy’s apartment, with the unattended tv playing and Amy’s cat sitting by the bathroom door. “Ashes? What are you doing sitting here?” It wasn’t like him to sit out in the open unless without a reason, and then both Amy and Joyce looked at the closed door in front of them. “Emily? You in there?” Joyce knocked. She could hear a sniffle from the other side of the door. “Mhm...just a second.” It wasn’t hard for Joyce to read the mood, taking an educated guess at what might’ve happened. “Everything alright? We’re gonna get going now.” The knob turned as the door opened and Emily emerged, the area around her eyes slightly red from what were likely tears. Ashes, Amy’s cat, seemed happy to be reunited with his friend as he rubbed against her leg with a purr. “I’ve never seen Ashes be so social with someone, especially on the first day!” Amy tried to lighten the mood as she made an honest remark. “He wasn’t even like that with Joyce until after a while.” “Maybe she’s already got my scent, then.” Joyce wrapped an arm around Emily’s shoulder. “Ready to go?” Emily mutely nodded, as they took the lead out of Amy’s house and back downstairs. “And you, can wait up here, mister.” Amy was careful not to let the cat out. As much as she was okay with letting him roam freely around the store, it’d be unbecoming of her professional attitude. “I’ll be getting back to you in a day or two on the details for you to give the no or go on,” She did her best to focus solely on Joyce, while Emily slipped her shoes and jacket back on. She wasn’t a mother, but given where the two found Emily, and after clarifying what she wore, only so much could be left to Amy’s imagination. “Sounds good to me. We’ll be heading home and finally be able to relax, and also get ready for the workday tomorrow.” Joyce sighed, considering how long of a week it’d be. “Anyways, enjoy the rest of your day Amy, and thank you again.” “Anytime Joyce, and Emily it was a pleasure!” Amy gave Emily a brief hug who had just joined the two. “It was nice meeting you too, Amy.” Emily said as she weakly returned the hug. Amy was a nice person, but she didn’t want to be too affectionate with anyone right now. “I look forward to seeing you again. And just know that Joyce thinks the world of you!” She exclaimed as she moved back to the stairs. “Now if you’ll forgive me, I’ll have you two see yourselves out. I can’t help but feel I’m bursting with inspiration for some reason!” She gave a smile that felt particularly directed at Joyce, and then she was quickly out of sight. “Ready to go home?” Joyce looked over at Emily, who with a sense of fatigue nodded her head. The two walked back into the main store from the back room and then around the desk, opening the entrance to see the car where it had been left, getting themselves inside. Charles already having been instructed beforehand, kicked the car into gear shortly after they shut the door. “I’m so proud of you,” Joyce spoke plainly; no syrup or sugar; nothing that may cause understanding. The lack of flavor to her words was refreshing in a way, because above all else it came off as a statement. Her words could not have been any more genuine than they were now. As she hugged Emily, she continued speaking. “It must’ve been tough, wasn’t it?” At the sound of her understanding, Emily could feel the sadness buried from what she’d done, resurface, only nodding her head, wet drops beginning to escape the corners of her eyes. “That’s alright. It gets easier, I promise. We’ll get you changed when we go home. Just try and relax for now…” Emily could feel a slight whimper, as her emotional dam was breaking now. “You know it’s okay to cry, right sweetie?” Joyce pulled her deeper in as she rubbed her arm. “Remember, it doesn’t matter how you feel; I’m here to take care of you. There’s no need to act tough around me. If you can’t have a good cry around me, then who else is supposed to comfort you?” Silently, Emily’s whimper turned into something a little more audible as she willingly buried herself into Joyce; arms wrapped tight. “You can stay like this for as long as you need to,” Her voice rung as softly as the words before. Emily was held by sanctuary and safety itself. “My special, little Emmy.”

Part 2 Oh, how she wished she could see the look on his face and knew what was running through his head when she whispered those words in his ear. The only inkling she had to what he was thinking was the bright redness of his cheeks and his ears. She smiled as she licked her lips, pressing herself even closer to him. She didn’t want to scare him off. She wanted him to know that she was totally into it. He turned his head slowly and looked at her, his face was bright red, but she could tell he was trying to keep his composure. “E-excuse me?” He whispered, almost as if he was secretly hoping that she said something else – as if. She couldn’t help but think how cute he looked and felt herself grow even more excited to think how red she could make him later on. She could repeat herself, but she felt like toying with him for a bit. “Change…can you break some change for me?” She asked as she quickly reached into her purse and pulled out a $20 bill. “I could use some ones.” Of course, that was a lie, she was a waitress, after all, and she had plenty of ones. He let out a deep sigh. But, was it from relief or disappointment? She wished she knew….but she would find out sooner or later. “Yeah, I think I do.” He bent back down (giving her another peak of his diaper poking out from his pants) and pulled out his wallet from his backpack, giving her a ten, two fives and five ones. “Oh thank you, you totally saved me there!” She said with a warm and welcoming smile. “No – no problem, ma’am.” She shifted her weight when he heard his polite tone. She pressed her legs together as she motioned her head towards his backpack. “Coming home from school?” “Uh yeah,” he said, but then quickly added. “College! I’m nineteen.” “Oh my, so young.” She said with a shake of her head. “So are you, ma’am, you must be young. Early twenties, I bet.” She gave him a broad smile, of course, he was lying. It wasn’t as if she didn’t look good, but she knew she looked closer to her age – but that is the way she liked it. “You’re such a sweetheart. I’m afraid that next month I’ll be 33 years old. I’m almost old enough to be your mother.” “My m-mother?! No way!” He quickly defended those words, and she chuckled. He made it seem like it was an insult to be called that, but for her, it couldn’t be further from the truth. “What is your name?” “My name is Daniel.” “Nice to meet you Daniel, my name is Anabelle.” “Anabelle. That’s a really pretty name.” He said with a smile. He was just too adorable! It honestly took everything she had not to snatch him right then and there. She wanted to toy around with him a bit more before she teased him, enjoying pressing his buttons and watching him squirm as he tried to figure her out. What she just a nice woman making conversation on the bus? Or was she trying to hit on him? She could tell he was trying to work it out, but it wasn’t something she was going to let him figure out easily. She leaned back in her seat. Even she was getting impatient; her stop was only a few minutes away now. She could stay on the bus for a little longer but honestly wanted to snatch him along with her. She sighed. She could go on for hours, which she has done before, make them keep guessing – toying with them until she finally took what she wanted. Of course, they enjoyed it as well. She turned her attention back to him, pressing herself closer to him. She wished she could feel how wet his diaper was under his pants. Was he wearing all day at school? Oh my! If it hadn’t leaked by now, it would be a miracle. But, he could have put it on before the bus ride home, probably believing that he would be safe from being found out. Poor little him, he had no idea. She took her hand and gently pressed it against his thigh, but not high enough to touch his diaper. “Oops sorry,” she said as she pulled back just a little bit. His face instantly turned red as he shifted in his seat. “Sadly my stop is right after this one.” She said as the bus started to come to a stop, thankfully it was a popular spot so a lot of people were coming on and off the bus so that they would be there for a few minutes. “Oh. I still have a few blocks to go.” “Will you be able to last that long though?” She asked him, giving him a sly smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Oh, you’re so silly,” she laughed as she leaned in closer, “aren’t you worried about leaking?” “L-leaking.” His expression was of pure embarrassment, and it was wonderful! Within an instant, he froze up his face a bright shade of red. She almost felt bad for him, but she knew it would only last a second and everything would be well once he realized what was going to happen. She would never do anything that someone didn’t want, she liked to toy with people, but she never pushed them to do something that made them uncomfortable (and they didn’t enjoy it). Otherwise, what would be the fun in that? “Yes, of course! It’s very obvious that you are wearing a diaper.” She spoke this in a low voice so that no one would hear. However, he quickly darted his eyes around the bus, as if people were going to jump up and start laughing at him. This made her feel a bit bad, so she rested her hand upon his thigh. “It’s okay,” she hushed, giving his thigh a squeeze, “I’m pretty sure I’m the only person to have the luxury of spotting it. Have you been wearing it since this morning?” He could only nod his head, unable to look at her. He seemed so little in that instance. She wanted to take him on her lap and console him (and teases and humiliate of course). “Oh, you poor thing.” She said as she ran her fingers up a little more, “and I bet you don’t have anyone to take care of that for you, do you?” “N-o, of course not…n-no one knows…” he could hardly form a sentence, but she could feel his tension start to loosen up a bit. “It must not be easy to change them yourselves,” she could feel the bus start to move again, quite perfect timing actually, “you know…my stop is right next door. If you would like, I could help you out.” He gave her a questioning look. “H-how…I…I mean…w-w-why?” His stuttering voice just added to his cuteness. “To change you of course,” she whispered in his ear, “that is if you want me too. I understand if you wouldn’t want someone like me to help. But, if you do, I can promise you – you’ll enjoy it very much.” He didn’t respond right away, he turned his head and looked at her, giving her a look she had seen so many times before. She could imagine him wondering if he was dreaming, if she was serious, if she was going to kidnap him and kill him (what fun would that be?), or if she was pulling his leg. She wanted to know that she was dead serious. She took her hand and ran it along the edges of his pants, to the point where she could feel the top of the diaper sticking out; she pulled at it gently as she licked his ear slightly. The bus came to a stop. “I promise I will take good care you,” she whispered as she got up and pretended to turn around, but just like she predicted, he grabbed hold of her hand. “Yes?” She asked as she turned around, giving him another smile. “Are you serious?” He asked her, his voice more sturdy then it has been before. She nodded her head, squeezing his hand. She wanted him to trust her, wanted him to know that she was serious and sincere with her words. He piqued her interest, and it has been a long time since someone has done that. Of course, what are the chances you’re going to sit next to someone who was wearing a diaper? Well…at least someone who shouldn’t be wearing a diaper so-to-speak. “Come on,” she whispered as she pulled him along, pausing just enough so he could quickly grab his bag, and left the bus, together. Now the fun was really going to start… to be continued...

Chapter 8 Marcus took a deep breath. He figured he was going to have to have this conversation at some point today. He just didn’t expect it to be right now. Plus, after waking up to his girlfriend cry and in serious need of some little time, it could not come at a worse time. With Emily seeing his padding, however, there was no way he was able to push this talk until later. “Sweetheart, can we talk? It’s nothing bad, I promise” he said as he sat on the floor next to the diaper clad girl. “Of course daddy, we can talk about anything you want” she responded, a little nervous about what was about to come out of his mouth. She had never seen Marcus in a diaper before and just blurted it out. Emily wished she had kept it to herself. “For this talk, I need you to be in big girl mode Emily. I know it’s going to hard, but it will be hard to explain this to your adult side” Marcus said, his heart breaking as he said it. This weekend was supposed to be about nothing but his baby girl experiencing her little side to the fullest and he was ruining that. Why did he decide to wear a diaper at all? He felt so guilty. “OK Marcus, my big side is here now” Emily told her boyfriend, starting to get more nervous by the second. There was only two times he pulled her out of little space and they were both horrible. Once was when his mom passed away and the other was when his family pet had died. She remembered it like it was yesterday. Both times, when she showed her big side, she returned to tears running down Marcus’ face. Hoping this time was different, she put on a weary smile and looked him in the eyes. “Emily, ever since we have been involved in this amazing relationship, I have been hiding a side of you from myself” he told her, trying to read his girlfriend’s face for any reaction. Not being able to spot anything obvious, he continued. “I...I...god this is hard to get out” he said, composing himself as he finished his sentence “I am a daddy that likes to wear diapers.” A weight felt like it was lifted off of her chest. She was so thankful it was not something with the same gravity as the previous two. Emily could tell, however, that this was very important for Marcus to get out and he was having a hard time getting out. “Marcus, look at me. I don’t think you wearing diapers is that big of an issue” she joked, showing him that she was wearing nothing but a soaked diaper. Marcus chuckled. “That is true, but I know some little ones have an issue with their caregiver wearing during little time. I just wanted to get your honest opinion on how you feel about that. Would you be ok with daddy wearing during your baby girl time or not? Please be honest Emily. I will not have my feelings hurt if you say no. I just want your little space to be exactly how you want it.” Marcus meant every word. Her first impression was that she wanted her daddy to be happy. If that meant he wore a diaper while taking care of her, so be it. As she thought more about it, however, some doubts started to creep up. When she just saw the waistband of his padding, it took most of her brain out of little space. Was that just a one time thing or would that happen every time? As selfish as this sounded, she wanted to have the best time she had ever had in little space and didn’t want to worry about falling in and out. “Honestly Marcus, I have no issue with you wearing during bed time. However, for the sake of my little space, I would prefer you not wear while in the daddy role.” This hurt her heart to say. Emily was normally a people pleaser, but she wanted this to be her special weekend. Marcus’ heart ripped in half, but he held it together. “That is totally ok baby girl. I want this to be the best little weekend you have ever had. Daddy will keep the diapers in his bedroom and that’s it” he put on a smile as he told Emily what she wanted to hear. Marcus figured that he could bring it up another time, but doing it now was kind of unfair to Emily. “Daddy will be right back, why don’t you watch some cartoons baby girl?” he said, grabbing her pacifier and putting it back in her mouth as he made his way to his bedroom. When the pacifier went in her mouth, she was expecting to slide right back into little space. She couldn’t stop thinking about Marcus though. Who was she to tell him that he couldn’t wear diapers when he was in his caretaker headspace? He let her wear diapers whenever she wanted. The man she called daddy even let her wear last Thanksgiving when they went to visit his family. It did seem like he was ok with the decision though. Emily let those thoughts fall from her mind as she watched cartoons, her regression taking over her brain again. Pulling on a pair of black boxers, Marcus couldn’t stop thinking about how he handled that situation. How could she have wanted him to wear diapers around her when he shoved the ultimatum in her face like he did? As he pulled up his jeans, he shook those thoughts out of his head. He didn’t want them to interfere with his job as a daddy. Before he made his way back to the living room, he stopped at the nursery and grabbed a diaper and a stuffer along with some baby powder and wipes. Emily was completely engrossed in the colorful characters on screen, she barely noticed when he daddy walked into the room. Her attention turned to him, however, when she felt a hand squeeze her droopy bottom. “My Huggies pee pee wet daddy” Emily said with the enthusiasm of a toddler. “This is only pee pee? It feels like you jumped in the lake with this dipey on” he joked, giving her a couple pats on her soggy bottom to reinforce his point. “Siwwy daddy. I no jump in da wake” she said around the nipple in her mouth. Her daddy could be so silly sometimes and she loved it. “I guess not, since a lake isn’t yellow” he teased her a little as he flipped her on her back and sat between her legs. As he saw her grab her Cuddles, he smiled. Look at Emily: laying in nothing but a wet diaper while snuggling a stuffed animal. She looked perfect and Marcus was lucky to take care of her. As she looked up at her boyfriend, she was overcome with feelings of love for him. While she felt that feeling at least once a day, this one was different. The loving feeling in her stomach was mixed with a feeling of guilt. Guilt for not letting him wear diapers like she did. “Maybe, in the back of his mind, he didn’t love me as much now” she thought as she hugged her bear tight. She pulled the pacifier from her mouth and looked up at him as he ripped the first tape off of her wet padding. “Daddy, I love you so much” she told Marcus, a smile growing on her face as she told him. “Daddy loves you too baby girl, more than anything in the entire world” he told her, returning the smile as he pulled the second tape free. “Something felt slightly off” he said as his hand reached for the third tape. While she told him she loved him all the time, this time just felt weird. Once the final tape was pulled free, he knew what it was about. “Sweetheart, did you just tell me you loved me because you felt bad about asking me not to wear diapers when in daddy mode?” he knew that's what it was about, he just wanted to hear her admit it. As Emily heard the words come out of her daddy’s mouth, she knew she had been exposed. While she laid in front of her boyfriend in a wet diaper and nothing else, what he just told her made Emily feel 10 times more exposed. It took all her will power to look Marcus in the eyes as she replied with a quiet “A little”. “First off, I want to say that I love you with all my heart and that will never changed” he told the women laying in front of him, wanting to reassure her that the genuine love of her last statement was not lost on him. “Secondly, I am more then ok with your decision. You don’t need to worry about me being mad or anything like that. I want you to be as happy in little space as you can possibly be. Please don’t feel bad” Marcus told her as he leaned over her and planted a kiss on her lips. Hearing the sincere words dripping from his mouth put Emily at ease. While he had told her basically the same thing before, something about the tone he used and his demeanor made her relax. “Now, how about we get you into a clean dipey? Daddy has a fun day planned and we don’t want to waste any time” he told her as he brought the front of her wet diaper down and pulled a baby wipe out of the package. Emily’s mind ran wild at what the day might bring. A trip to the toy store? Maybe the zoo? She even started thinking about things like riding unicorns. “Silly me, unicorns don’t live around here” she told herself as she chuckled behind her binky. As the little girl was thinking about all the fun possibilities, Marcus had already powdered her soft bottom and pulled the stuffer filled padding between her legs. He decided on a Dry 24/7 for her this morning. They were pretty thick and he always thought she looked cuter than normal in an all white diaper. His DL side loved the crinkles as well. “There you go princess, all snug and dry in your Huggies” Marcus told the regressed women. “There is only one thing wrong” he told her, a concerned look on his face. Emily returned the same look. “What is it daddy?” she asked, a quiver in her voice. “It’s just that daddy isn’t feeling very good. It feels like...he is coming back” he told the little one as he grabbed his stomach, pretending like it hurt. “Who?” Emily asked, feeling very concerned at this point. “Its...its...the...TICKLE MONSTER” he yelled as his hands shot from his stomach to her exposed tummy. She only had a second to react before her daddy’s fingertips were running all over her tummy and hips. “No daddy” Emily got out before the giggling took over. She was very ticklish and daddy always took advantage of that. “I’m sorry princess. I’m trying to fight it, but the tickle monster is winning” Marcus said as he used his left hand to pull his right arm away. It only lasted a second, however, as the tickle monster was stronger and brought both hands back to her skin. “It’s no use” he yelled as his heart melted looking at the giggling diaper girl in front of him. No trace of adult Emily in sight. “Baby girl, I am gonna pull his arm off. When your free, run into the kitchen and grab 2 gummy bears. If we both eat one, we should be free of the tickle monster” he instructed her. As soon as his right arm was holding his left back, he looked at his girlfriend and told her “Go now”. As the word go left her daddy’s lips, she stood up and waddled as fast as she could to the kitchen. She normally loved thick diapers, but this was one of the few times she cursed them. Once she got into the kitchen, she swung open the cupboard, her eyes scanning for the gummy snacks. “Hurry up baby, he is getting stronger” Marcus yelled towards the kitchen. As soon as the plea left his lips, he heard the frenzied crinkle that signaled a running diaper girl. He had to hold back a smile and stay in character as he saw Emily toddle back into the living room, the entire bag of gummy bears in tow. “You eat one now princess. He won’t tickle you if you do” he told her frantically. As if Emily needed an excuse to eat candy. She stuck her hand in the bag and pulled out a red gummy. Her favorite. Quickly putting it in her mouth and chewing it up, she told daddy with an excitement in her voice “I ate it. I’m safe!” “Good girl, now put one in my mouth so I can be safe” he commanded her as if his life depended on it. Marcus knew that his baby girl wanted to keep him safe, so was not surprised at all when she hurried over and shoved a green gummy bear in his mouth. He made quick work of eating it. Once it was in his stomach, he started breathing very heavily. “Thanks baby girl. One more second and I would have been a goner” he got out between deep breaths as he hugged his girlfriend tight. “Don’t worry daddy, I would never let anything happen to you” Emily told him, embracing the hug. She had saved a life today.

I'm 27 years old and I can tell you that if anyone - I don't care if it was a stranger, a friend, or family member - came up and told me that they were an ABDL - I would look at them straight in the eye and tell them "I didn't need to know that or want to know that" It's not something that the world needs to know about me. I never felt the need to go around and tell people what I like to do in the bedroom. I understand that for most AB's it's not a sexual fetish - but it doesn't matter - it's something private that MOST people do not want to know about. I don't care if I'm ABDL, I do not want to picture friends/families in this lifestyle, do not care if my friends are into hardcore BDSM or whatever else. I'll never understand why some ABDL people have this NEED for people to know - when people in the BDSM community are perfectly happy with keeping it behind closed doors. My only guess on why people tell other people of their lifestyle - is because they are secretly hoping they will be apart of it - which is weird...but why else do they need to know?

5 - New Feelings Joyce’s clock buzzed quietly next to her, opening her eyes as the sleepiness quickly drained from her; her heart raced with anticipation. Slipping out of bed, she changed into a snug fitting t-shirt and pants with a similar effect for the day. First impressions for this kind of thing were important, and she wanted to look mature--but also stay comfortable when keeping up with her baby for the day. Everything had been calculated, down to the very cup she’d be drinking out of, and Joyce looked forward to every step of the way. While she and Emily both experienced their roles for the day, there was really one goal to achieve with Emily, and one only. She would, of course, ease her into things, step by step, but there was a point Joyce would be sure to reach to--truly know whether this could continue or not. She stood in front of Emily’s door; knowing that once she woke Emily up it was on her to see her through. With a deep breath, she quietly turned the knob and opened the door, seeing her peaceful little girl sleep without a worry. Joyce couldn’t help but feel devious, having known that Emily would still be asleep. She purposely kept her up late last night just to have this effect in the morning. Joyce knelt down on the carpet, knowing how heavy of a sleeper Emily was, and gently nudged her shoulder. “Emily, sweetie...it’s time to wake up…” She whispered into Emily’s ear. The girl stirred in response, still in a trance. “Honey, it’s time to wake up. We’ve got a very special day ahead of us…” “Mmmmm…” She mindlessly smirked at the noises. “Mm...nn!” Emily gave a little stretch, as her eyes finally opened to see Joyce looking back at her. “Joyce?” She mumbled. “What’re you doing in here? What…” She paused for a yawn. “ What time is it?” “Rise and shine, little one! Mommy needs to get her girl dressed for the day.” Even Joyce herself felt a bit awkward saying it at first, but her emotions and desires reaffirmed her resolve, as with each time it would only become easier and more natural. What was she talking about? Emily rolled over to stare up at the ceiling, trying to piece the situation together. “Now let’s see what we have here…” Joyce stood up, and with one hand peeled back the covers to reveal Emily’s body. She was in her button-up from the first night Joyce bought her those new clothes--which looked quite good on her, to Joyce’s mental note. “My, my! My little girl must have slept well, didn’t she? Let’s get you out of your nighttime clothes and into something more appropriate.” Emily only caught the last bit before she could feel the touch of someone edging their hands into the waistband of her pants and panties. As Joyce tugged them, Emily suddenly in protest went, “Wait...what are you doing? Hey…!” The protest was natural, Joyce reasoned in the back of her head. Joyce foresaw this as well, and it wasn’t anything outside her expectations. She knew the only way she could have Emily’s honest feelings was if she kept her out of the loop and tried to encourage her to simply just enjoy the ride. Surrender all control to her, let mommy take care of everything. Emily seemed to be catching on soon enough as well, suddenly remembering this was the day they were going to do this. But Joyce taking the initiative on her own was something she did not expect. She was surprised, yet she wasn’t denying what was happening either. “Such a fussy girl…” Joyce tutted, dismissing her adult shock as a little fit. “We’ll feel much better once we're up and wide awake!” Slowly teasing the girl, Joyce took her time sliding off everything below her waist, Emily being reminded every second of the way, as the fabric slid off her skin. And then they came off her feet; Joyce held Emily’s pants and panties in one arm while she looked over to the very exposed girl, who had already taken one hand to cover her most sacred parts for the sake of what dignity she had left. “Please give me my panties back…” Emily let out a sheepish plea, her voice choking up a bit from what seemed to be happening way too fast. She didn’t think her heart could start beating this fast so early in the morning! “Don’t worry honey…” Joyce rubbed her hand over her burning cheek. “We’ll get you sorted soon enough.” Joyce stared at the panties which used to be on Emily’s waist not even a second ago. The striped pattern that ran across the pink looked absolutely beautiful with exquisite craftsmanship. She fantasized seeing Emily clad in these, as she would walk around the apartment--but that was for another time--should it ever come. Something else should be around her waist right now; they weren’t panties. “Now let’s get that top off of you.” Joyce edged Emily closer to the bed, who was still trying to keep a hand in place from exposing her privates. Joyce paid her arm no heed, however, as she kept brushing it away; an unnecessary obstacle to getting Emily undressed. Constantly she’d try to readjust, to Joyce’s silent disapproval, until she settled by pulling a blanket over her legs instead. Meanwhile, Joyce made her way down Emily’s torso, button by button, as Emily became less and less clothed. Fighting very odd feelings of protest right now, Emily did her best to surrender to Joyce. It didn’t feel right, being undressed by someone else, yet she kept herself restrained nonetheless. Joyce noted Emily’s cooperation for the most part to be a good thing, and as the final button came undone it left her in just a bra. She’d leave that on Emily; lest she pushes her too far for one day. This time was all about taking just the right steps. “Arms up,” Joyce said as she guided Emily’s arms by pulling on the top and hanging it over her arm. “Such a good girl,” Joyce cooed further, tossing nearly all of her clothes into a hamper next to her dresser. Speaking of which… “Now let’s get you all dressed up.” Joyce pretended to look as if she were trying to decide on an outfit for Emily, when in fact she knew exactly what she was looking for; she simply wanted to add to the immersion. “Hmmm...Ah! I know!” Joyce proclaimed as she dug into one of Emily’s drawers. What did she find? Emily racked her brain, trying to think what could possibly be considered infantile in her wardrobe. Out of it, Joyce pulled a shirt, holding it by the sleeves just to give Emily a good look. The shirt was predominantly grey, and the sleeves and neck collar was pink, with a happy monkey playing on the front. Emily looked at the size, knowing full well that wouldn’t fit like her shirts normally do; unless that was her intention? And also, where had that been hiding in her drawers? “A cute shirt for my cute girl! And most importantly…” She fished into the drawers again, exploring depths Emily had clearly never known of before. But to Emily’s horror and knowing inevitability, Joyce held a large white rectangle in her hand, causing Emily’s heart to sink a little, yet skip a beat when she recognized what it was. “I need to make sure my baby is protected while we have lots of fun today,” Joyce explained in a motherly tone, taking the two articles of clothing over to the practically nude girl. Emily’s heart pounded heavily as she did her best to process such a quick chain of events. She wasn’t ready for this, but Joyce didn’t look like she intended to stop, and that made everything equally as intriguing as it was terrifying. She had to constantly remind herself that this was Joyce doing this; her only reason for agreeing to something so unimaginable to her. She was still waking up, yet from the way Joyce was acting, her sleep-induced drunkenness was switching out for something much more infantile. Soon, she would be committed to the role as soon as Joyce did what she needed to do…The final nail in the coffin--or rather, the final tape on the plastic. Joyce could see and feel the fear and uncertainty radiating off from Emily’s troubled situation. She dearly hoped those feelings would change soon enough, but she’d only know if she pressed further. She quietly cleared her throat, then proceeded. “Now let’s lie down for mommy, sweetie.” Gently, yet firmly, she used both hands and pressed on Emily’s shoulders as she eased her back, the blanket covering her falling out of reach and Joyce denying any attempts to get it back. Emily hated being so exposed, and turned her head away in shame as she felt tears sting her eyes. “There, there,” Joyce consoled. “It’ll all be over soon…” Out of sight, but not earshot, Emily could hear the crinkling noise as Joyce fanned out her new undergarment for the day. With both hands, Joyce gathered Emily’s feet together and lifted them up to Emily’s surprise, feeling more like an actual child with each step. Thighs and legs in the air, Joyce slid the white cushion underneath Emily’s bottom and slowly lowered her onto it. Emily could feel the goosebumps as she came into contact with the soft padding. It didn’t feel real, despite the obvious proof sitting between her legs. Joyce produced a bottle of baby powder and gushed a small cloud of mist as she gingerly covered Emily’s waist in sweet lavender-smelling powder. Going as far as to rub it in, Emily jumped a little out of reflex for being touched in such sensitive areas; almost feeling violated as she hated to acknowledge the strange, yet stimulating touch. Joyce paid no mind to her responses as she finished rubbing, and moved onto the closing stages as she drew the front of the diaper up and between her legs. Emily did too, as her face turned a shade of red while desperately trying to block out her senses. Next came the tapes, as one by one Joyce made sure to securely lock the four-tape diaper into place. She ran her finger through the leg waistbands (Causing Emily to jump again), and then it was done. Joyce stood back for a moment to admire the sight right now, while Emily still abashedly avoided eye contact. Joyce’s heart was gushing right now, melting at what she saw. Emily had gone so far to make this possible for Joyce, and it was living up to be everything she’d dreamed of. Joyce could have been the happiest woman in the world right now, as she was overjoyed with her new charge and loving friend. Joyce sat the girl up as she finally slipped the shirt onto Emily, hiding her bra but doing nothing to mask the white crinkly diaper secured around Emily’s waist. Emily picked up on it too, pouting how the shirt stayed just slightly above her belly button, openly hanging as the shirt was clearly not designed for the size of adults nor their curves. Seeing Emily blush was an obvious tell, but Joyce still couldn’t help but eat it up--simply too precious for words. Emily looked down at herself hesitantly. It was certainly a different look...the diaper felt much thicker than the panties she had been wearing moments ago, and made her feel very out of her element. The reminder of her helplessness refreshed some tears in her eyes. Whether this was for Joyce or not, Emily still felt troubled trying to adjust. “Okay...let’s talk.” Joyce calmly reeled back the persona, as she sat on the bed with Emily, putting an arm around her shoulder and over her waist. “Tell me, how are you feeling right now?” “I...I don’t know…” It was all Emily could say. It was so hard trying to describe the emotions she was feeling. To confine that idea of helplessness, fear, anxiety, uncertainty, safety. and thrill into words...Was there even a word for that? “Well, are you happy...sad...scared?” She rubbed Emily’s back. “I just feel so...vulnerable.” Even that didn’t feel like it did it justice. “I feel like a baby.” The irony was hard not to laugh at, but for Emily’s sake, Joyce stayed silent at that remark. “That’s the whole point, Emily. I want to take care of you so dearly like this, but I want you to enjoy it too. Yes, it must be a shock going through such a transition, but I want you to know that I will always be with you every step of the way. I want to care for you just as much, and if not, more. It’s okay to feel vulnerable when you’re like this, and in this apartment. It’s just you and me, and I would never take advantage of you.” The level of trust needed to feel like that though wasn’t easy to reach, of course, and it wasn’t something that could happen overnight. It felt better having Joyce treat her like an adult again; being able to collect herself, Emily nodding her head in response. She wanted to see what this was like and feel Joyce’s love for her as a child, yet nonetheless, it was scaring her to feel so defenseless, and naked. Never before had she ever needed to rely on someone in such a way other than when she were actually a baby. Now consciously being aware of the difference, she didn’t feel right. “I promise nothing bad will happen to you while you’re in my care. Just like with your ankle, remember? When you were hurt we made it all better? When you needed clothes, I provided, and when you needed food, I cooked. It’s nothing different now, other than both of us getting to enjoy it in a different way. It may feel scary now, but you need to give yourself a chance to enjoy today and see what it’s like.” “But the...diapers…” Emily’s voice drifted off on the last word. “Again, it’s just another thing that reminds you of how you’re in my care. I love the idea of taking care of you, and hope you can like me taking care of you too. You don’t have to think of it as making you a baby; it’s just a way you can put your trust in me to keep you comfy and safe. Besides, does it feel completely unbearable to wear one?” As much as she hated to admit it, Joyce was on some level getting through to her. Despite being thick and crinkly, the white diaper with a long strip running down the front was a bit of a cushion on the inside. It did feel soft to some degree, but not far from her high-end panties. Still, though, it was an awkward trade for comfort in exchange for being such a far cry from adulthood. And another thing she fought herself on was the wonderful smell of lavender emanating from the diaper; she couldn’t deny that it was a nice smell. And considering it as a sign of Joyce’s care was strange to process, but did offer a new perspective that slightly dampened the blow to her dignity. “Now that we’re feeling better do you want to go have some breakfast?” Breakfast did sound good right about now, and whatever they did have would likely help take her mind off of things. Emily nodded her head as she sniffled one last time, her stomach suddenly starting to feel empty. “Good, I know I could use a bite to eat right about now, too. Annnd up we go!” Joyce hoisted Emily up in the air with a sudden burst of strength she did not expect, quick to wrap her arms around Joyce’s neck and legs around her waist. She’d never actually been awake when carried by Joyce, and was surprised being able to witness the woman’s strength firsthand. Joyce supported her bottom with one hand and back with the other, and was in heaven as she carried her big baby out of the room. Wait, what about pants? “Hey, Joyce, wait!” Joyce suddenly stopped walking. “What is it, hon?” “What about...you know…my pants?” “Pants?” Joyce continued walking down the hall and into the kitchen. “Yes! Can’t I have something to wear over this?” Emily’s voice became quiet in embarrassment. She suddenly wasn’t feeling so brave when it came to referencing her underwear. “Maybe later,” Joyce reasoned. “I want you to be comfortable with being dressed as you are, and this is just about as intense as it gets.” Joyce half-lied. She could think of one more way to take things further, but she had no intention of doing such a thing to her already skeptical charge. “Please? Can’t I just have some pants, shorts, or even a skirt?” Emily begged for some kind dignity, as this wasn’t an adjustment she appreciated having to adapt to. “No means no, Emily. I’ve seen you in even fewer clothes than this; you shouldn’t feel embarrassed. I’m the only one who will see you like this, and frankly, I find you adorable!” She patted Emily’s back after that remark, unable to see Emily’s blushing face. “Now let’s stop thinking about adult things and look forward to breakfast!” Joyce pulled out a chair at the table with a cushion on it, setting Emily down onto it. Emily noticed the difference too; her bare thighs coming into contact with the warm softness that was replaced by the usually cold surfaces of the wooden chairs. Had she planned this? Emily wondered, pressing her hand against the warmed cushion. She must have, considering all the other chairs were like they’d always been: cushionless. Either way, Emily wasn’t denying the welcomed addition. Joyce hummed her usual melody as she took out various ingredients and appliances. Emily couldn’t see much as she watched in silence, only able to make out butter and eggs as Joyce stirred. “What’re you making?” Emily asked as she leaned from side to side in her chair. “That,” She hung the suspense in between her words. “is a surprise.” Joyce was becoming happier by the minute as it was beginning to feel less and less like a dream. There were a few issues with today, but assuming it all went well, they would be fixed later down the road. For example, she wanted to use a changing pad for Emily and much more appropriate diapers, but on such short notice and holding back her temptations to give Emily the complete baby treatment, she had to take things slow; even if the wait was painful. For all she knew, Emily may never want to do this again, and the thought honestly scared her. However, Joyce was too focused on simply making this one of the best experiences both she and Emily ever had. Speaking of Emily, sitting in her chair with little to do, she started to become much more attentive towards all the windows in the house now. Being dressed as she was, the glass that gave her a good look of the outside world felt so much more dangerous now; now giving the world a view of her, and her outfit. She had half a mind to crawl under a rock and die. But if Joyce had even thought to keep her seat warm, then that must mean the windows were fine to pass, right? There were certainly buildings that towered in front of every angle of the apartment, and they were in one of many homes to be seen. Putting things into perspective and realizing just how insignificant they were, her mind was put somewhat at ease; reminding herself that Joyce promised her safety and security. Joyce poured the mixed substance onto a griddle as she made four medium-sized circles just about equal in size. She dotted them with chocolate chips and flipped them over once one side had been cooked enough. Once the other side finished, she unloaded two onto each plate, one for her and Emily. With a knife, she buttered all four and took care to cut up all of the fluffy cakes on one plate, then apply just the right amount of syrup to the both of them. Satisfied with her work, she carried both plates to the table. “Ta-da!” Joyce cheered, as she placed a plate in front of Emily and then herself. She turned on the coffee maker as she grabbed napkins and silverware for the two, a fork and knife for herself, but just a fork for Emily. “Pancakes?” Emily looked down at her plate as she could feel herself begin to salivate. Joyce was truly a godsend from the kitchen heavens, as her food never failed to impress the eyes or taste buds. She had tried cooking for Joyce before during the week, as a sign of thanks; but it never turned out nearly as well with the practice and skill Joyce already had. She’d really need to get a few pointers from her... “We should start off the day with something delicious to get our big day started!” Joyce set out the utensils as the coffee maker finished doing its business. Emily noticed she was only given a fork, but decided not to protest, seeing as her meal was already cut up for her. She knew what Joyce was trying to go for, and didn’t not appreciate her kind gesture. Emily didn’t hesitate, as she already taking her first bite. It was as spectacular like all of her cooking was. The syrupy goodness blended so well with the bite of pancake that revealed a warm chocolate chip which melted on her tongue. Taking in every last bit of taste, she hurriedly moved onto the next bite. Joyce stared at her little girl as she poured their drinks, a bit disappointed in how she saw Emily sit in the regular chair. There was so much more she wanted to do for Emily, and she couldn’t chase the feeling away. Had it been Joyce’s way, Emily would at the very least be wearing a bib right now, if not also securely in a highchair. What were once fantasies, now felt like genuine possibilities with Emily. Joyce wanted to experience so much with her, but was afraid to break Emily with the pressures of unloading years of pent-up “mommying,” all at once. Slowly she would appease her own emotions, but Emily’s always came first. Joyce set her mug of coffee on the table while she gave Emily her’s, which was specially prepared. Emily eyed the cup as well, seeing it wasn’t ordinary. It was one of the cups she’d used in the house before, but now there was a rubber cap covering the opening, as there was a small top to drink out of. Almost like a sippy cup. Was it? Through the translucent plastic she could see a light brown substance, almost like chocolate milk. Curiously, she lifted the cup and took a sip, better put, sucked on the rubber top, to be rewarded with a stream of deliciousness. It was her kind of coffee that taste like it had been mixed with a generous amount of milk; a perfect balance between caffeine and a drink much more expected of someone substantially younger. She had been expecting something much more infantile, though, but was happy Joyce was making an effort to keep her feelings in mind, too. “Do you like your drink, honey?” Joyce asked as she sipped some of her own coffee, cutting a piece of pancake. “Mhm!” Emily mumbled through her chewing mouth, already eating more pancake. “Perfect. Only the best for my special girl.” Joyce happily cooed as they continued their meal. Emily was reluctant to drink from the cup at first, but she could stomach the embarrassment, knowing that this was what Joyce wanted, and probably the best she was going to get. With how Joyce had been describing it, this almost came off as a compromise. Did she have a bottle lying around somewhere, and decided against using it? Whatever the case may be, she considered it a blessing counted. It didn’t take long to get the hang of drinking from the pseudo-sippy cup, either; getting it down before she’d sucked it dry. Emily scooched her chair out from the table to get some more, walking over to the counter. “Oh, what are you up to over here?” Joyce was already behind the girl. “I was just refilling my drink.” Emily nonchalantly spoke, in the back of her head, wondering why Joyce would feel the need to ask. “Then don’t worry honey,” Joyce easily plucked the cup from her hand. “All you need to do is ask. Let me take care of it. You go finish your pancakes, okay?” “Okay…” Was all Emily could say, as she took her seat with the sound of a crinkle. She had almost forgot she was wearing a diaper, and wasn’t happy for being reminded. And it was weird, exploring her limits as Joyce’s...baby. The word felt so weird when referring to herself. Had she done something wrong by getting her own drink? Just how much did Joyce want to do for her? Emily was swirling in thoughts; the exact opposite of what Joyce wanted for her. “Here you go,” Joyce set down the refilled drink in front of Emily while she took the last bites of her food. “Just let me know if you want anything else.” “Thank you.” Emily said as she took a sip from her cup to finish off the morning’s breakfast. Joyce with the liberty of cutting larger pieces, finished a bit before Emily, and was just checking her tablet for any unforeseen work updates; not that anything would or could come between her and Emily today. She set her tablet down and gathered their plates, walking over to the sink and rinsing them. She set them aside and took out a washcloth next, wetting only part of it as she walked over to Emily. “You got a little bit of syrup on your mouth, sweetie.” Joyce was more than obliged to assist, taking hold of Emily’s chin while she wiped her mouth clean. Again a strange experience for Emily, she was thankful nonetheless. As the cold washcloth ran over her face, she needed to remind herself that it was okay to surrender like this; she let Joyce do her thing. Her face clean, Joyce left the washcloth on the counter while she lifted Emily again and moved her into the living room. Not seeing it before when they first walked through, there was a large quilt set up on the floor in front of the couch. It was decorated in ABC block designs on a powder blue background, and made for a better seat than the hardwood floor. As Joyce lowered her, it gave Emily a leveled view of what was on top of it: toys. There were a couple of things Emily recognized off the bat, like a toy ball, a speak-and-say, and a thick children’s book; very simple stuff. Her mind would vegetate if she were to mess around with the latter two as she were right now, and could only consider the possibility of being entertained by the ball for a short while. However, some of the other things she couldn’t recognize were things that maybe could occupy her for a bit longer. All different in shape and size, they all seemed to be logic puzzles varying in challenge and likely difficulty. Joyce could see her plan had worked to get some more “advanced” toys for Emily. Of course, it would be cute to see her use some of the more babyish things, but she knew she wouldn’t be very captivated with those few toys. Just because Emily was her baby didn’t mean she had the mind of one. Emily without paying too much mind to Joyce already started tinkering with one of the puzzles, a bit surprised by it’s genuine difficulty. Joyce was happy to see Emily engaging on her own without having to be pointed in the right direction, but also disappointed when looking at the quilt which Emily’s padded bottom sat on. Joyce wasn’t particularly a fan for superficial things. Whenever she needed something she could simply buy the correct item; she had earned the ability after all, and to resort to so many repurposed items for Emily was a terrible feeling. She wanted all the bells and whistles, and only the best of the best that was meant for exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted the best for her girl--her baby, but Emily seemed content, and that was enough to set aside her little peeves. Joyce flicked on the tv for some background noise while she joined Emily. She was tinkering with a puzzle shaped like a disc; three metal parts connected to look seemingly woven together, but they were supposed to detach, and Emily was trying to figure out exactly how she’d accomplish that. “Oooh that’s a tough one, isn’t it?” Joyce encouraged while on her knees, more than a head taller than her compared to the way Emily sat. “Mhm…” Was all Emily could say, busy trying to figure it out. She always loved puzzles, but at moments couldn’t be the best at them. This was one of those times. Emily openly sighed as she gave the puzzle another work-over, feeling as if she’d already tried every angle to pull them apart for the past ten minutes. “Here, how about we try it together?” Joyce suggested, as she repositioned herself. She stood up to move behind Emily, and sat in such a way where Emily was in between her legs, as if they were going down a slide together. As if Joyce were the back of a chair, Emily leaned slightly back while she used Joyce as a cushion to support her. Absolutely loving it, Joyce accepted the puzzle from Emily’s hands and began to work on it in front of her. This...didn’t feel so bad, Emily reasoned as she laid into Joyce. It almost felt like any other night when they sat on the couch together, but maybe a bit more intimate in some way? She always enjoyed the feeling of being with Joyce in some form, and that was no different even now. Maybe in a diaper, and sitting on a playmat, but it was still with Joyce. And she didn’t feel belittled by the puzzle either, as it really was challenging. Joyce may have been treating her like a baby, but she did it in a way where Emily didn’t feel mindless like she had expected. Yet she couldn’t understand why Joyce wanted this so badly? Emily did the like idea of being close to Joyce, but she had yet to see the charm in the approach they were taking. “And if I have it correct, I think it should go...like...this!” In just a minute or two, Joyce successfully unlatched the pieces, which then fell into Emily’s lap--her diapered lap, rather. Emily still wasn’t too thrilled about her new underwear, but there were the perks to it she acknowledged from earlier. Trying not to pay mind to it, she collected the pieces and was already fiddling with them, now trying to do the opposite of what Joyce had done. “How were you able to do that?” Emily questioned, already trying to fit them into their awkward sockets. “What you need to do is twist and pull.” Joyce explained while she watched Emily, stroking her hair. “Yeah, but, how do you put it back together?” Emily aimlessly tried any combination to get them to fit into place, relaxing to the hand running through her hair. Now she wanted it back in one piece to try Joyce’s method. She held the puzzle up, as if a gesture for Joyce to solve it for her. “I can’t give you all the answers, silly! That would ruin the fun, wouldn’t it?” There was some truth to this statement, but Joyce wanted these toys to last until she could acquire some more if this wouldn’t be the last day they did this. And if Joyce was reading the situation correctly, that may just be the case... Emily sulked a bit as she started fiddling with it again, wishing for the instant gratification of Joyce showing her how to solve it. But next as if Joyce had read her mind, she produced the cup containing her favorite drink from breakfast. Emily happily took it and set the puzzle aside to take a swig of the caffeinated beverage. It was already half empty, but she tilted her head back further and further to get every drop; Joyce’s bosom serving as a pillow to support her efforts. “Thank you,” Emily said as she instinctively wiped her mouth with her hand, finding it to be dry. Then she remembered she was drinking from a sippy cup. Normally, she’d get the stuff on her mouth while sipping if she wasn’t careful, but this rubber cap prevented that from happening. In its own way it was kind of a perk, Emily figured. “Could I have some more please?” Emily asked, trying to look up at Joyce’s face by turning her head. “Why don’t we try some juice instead?” Joyce suggested, taking her cup and standing up. “Why juice?” Emily questioned, not particularly thrilled to be denied her special drink. “Because, you shouldn’t be drinking caffeine all day. That’s for the morning to wake you up.” Joyce explained. She appreciated that Emily liked the drink she made for her, but she didn’t want to make that her exclusive beverage. As Joyce walked away, Emily could already feel herself kind of missing her personal backrest. She messed around with the puzzle some more, but was ultimately getting nowhere. There was no way she would be able to beat that dumb puzzle. Joyce popped off the rubber cover and washed the cup out before refilling it with apple juice from the fridge. Apple juice was one of Joyce’s particular favorites apart from water, coffee and wine. She hoped the same would go for Emily too. Joyce put the cover back on as she walked back into the living room. She felt bad in a way, as she took her seat with Emily again, as if she were tricking her. Emily probably hadn’t thought about it yet, but Joyce wouldn’t object to keeping her hydrated--rather encourage it. The inevitable would happen soon enough, and then they could put one of the hardest steps behind them. “Thank you,” Emily said as she accepted the drink from Joyce, giving it a taste. She could tell it was apple juice, and it was pretty good. She very much liked her coffee-milk, but this was an acceptable substitute, she supposed. Emily grabbed a new puzzle while she turned her gaze to the tv, and Joyce shifted them over to the couch as the more comfortable option. Joyce encased her as they laid there, absolutely at peace as everything in the world felt right. Emily watched the show with Joyce while she occasionally tinkered with the puzzle, paused by taking a sip from her juice, while sitting in Joyce’s arms feeling safe and secure. “So how are you feeling now?” Joyce broke the silence, wanting to check back in with the adult Emily once more. “Better. compared to this morning.” Emily admitted. “Everything you’ve done for me I can’t appreciate enough. Minus the diaper and clothes, this doesn’t seem too different than normal. I..” Emily started to blush. “I like it when we’re together like this…” Joyce was overjoyed to hear such words as she gave Emily a little squeeze. “I like it, too.” “What about you? How are you doing?” “Emily,” She sighed. “I can’t thank you enough for this. I feel closer than I ever have before, and am loving every second of our time together. Doing this for me makes me the happiest woman in the world. All I’ve ever wanted is a little girl to watch over and care for, and you allowing me to do that makes you the most important person to me right now.” “You...you mean it?” Emily wasn’t sure why she was asking, nor why her heart’s pace started to pick up, and begin to flutter. “Absolutely and wholeheartedly.” While Joyce couldn’t see, a small smile crept over Emily’s face as she found herself soaking in the moment. She wasn’t sure how she would react to becoming a baby like this, but the love Joyce gave her made it worth every second, and started to make it more than bearable; actually enjoyable. The two laid there after many juice refills for a few hours or so, until the clock had just about crept up on two. Joyce had been paying attention, as she flicked off the tv and gathered Emily in her arms. “Wait, what? Where are we going?” Emily asked, just in the middle of watching something. “It’s naptime, sweetie.” Joyce gave her a light bounce as they walked down the hall. “But I’m not tired.” Emily retorted as they entered her room, trying not to say the most cliché thing any kid in her position would. “Don’t you always take naps during the day, though? When you wait for me to come home?” Joyce had a point, but those weren’t until later. It was still about an hour before those even entered the realm of possibility. “Yeah, but, those aren’t until later.” “Then let’s get you into the habit for this time then. Soon enough you won’t even feel the difference.” Joyce explained as she set Emily down on her bed. “Do you want the shades open or closed?” She asked while pulling a blanket over Emily. “Could you leave them a little open?” Emily asked. She wanted to leave a sliver of light in, just to remind her that it was still daytime. “Sure,” Joyce said, doing exactly as she requested. “Now try to get some shuteye. I’ll come back to wake you up in a few hours, okay?” “Mhm.” Emily nodded as she was authoritatively ordered to sleep. That was about how long she napped for normally, but it felt different being told to. “Perfect. Sleep well, my princess.” Joyce cooed, as she lightly kissed the top of Emily’s forehead. Emily’s cheeks burned as Joyce quietly shut the door, now alone with her thoughts. Making a deep sigh, she reflected on the day’s events thus far, rolling over on her side. While she couldn’t fully comprehend what Joyce was getting out of this, Emily’s own enjoyment was starting to grow on her. Being treated like an infant was different, but she felt closer to Joyce than she had ever before. Up until now when they were together Joyce still always cared for Emily, just to a much lesser extent. It’s as if by intensifying the level of maternal instinct Joyce had for her, so did their bond, and the feelings she felt from it. She loved being with her like this; being cared for--the center of Joyce’s attention. It was unusual, thinking so selfishly, but it felt good to feel that way, because she knew Joyce felt the same too. Yet again though, Emily had trouble placing her feelings for Joyce. Was this love? The idea kind of scared Emily. She liked men...but was it possible she liked women too? No, no, maybe that’s not it. She didn’t like women in that way; she simply liked Joyce. She always felt like a mother figure to her; just on a more intimate level. Whatever they had between them right now was perfect. Nothing less, and nothing more. Satisfied with her emotional conclusion, Emily closed her eyes, and could feel herself working her way into her usual nap routine. Emily opened her eyes sometime later, in the partial darkness of her room, minus the light from outside. She quickly got to the bottom of what woke her up; feeling pressure in her bladder. Oh crap, no, please no! Emily hopped out of bed and crinkled her way to the door. Why did this have to happen? Being Joyce’s baby may be fun, but this part certainly wasn’t as well-received. She made a beeline for the bathroom like years of routine would command; twisting the handle to only have it jiggle in resistance. “No, no, no! Please!” Emily jiggled the handle further, having no idea why the bathroom was locked. Joyce! She needed to find Joyce. Quickly she opened the door to her room, finding it untouched and empty. She looked in the living room and then the kitchen, finding no one. This was bad! Where had she gone? Did she leave her? The worst of her fears were bringing on tears, as she paced around, unsure of what to do as her bladder ached more. Why did she have to drink so much juice? Why did Joyce let her drink so much? Ugh! This was so frustrating! Out of instinct, she wanted to take off the diaper, but unless she got into the bathroom, what’d be the point in taking the thing off? “Joyce…” Emily sobbed as she sat on the couch. “Emily? What are you doing up?” The missing figure had suddenly appeared. “You should still be…” Joyce trailed off as she took off her glasses. Emily looked at her in tears with a posture overwhelmed by stress. “I thought you left…” Emily sobbed, afraid of being left in such a dire situation and attire. “Of course I’d never leave you!” Joyce gave her a hug. “Is that why you’re so upset?” “No…” Emily whined. “I need to pee…” So that’s what it was...Joyce sighed as she pulled Emily into her lap on the couch. “Shhh...shhh...It’s okay, Emily.” “But I need to use the bathroom!” “Then let it go,” Joyce cooed into Emily’s ear. “Mommy’s here, there’s no reason to be scared.” “Please Joyce, I’m not joking, I need to go!” “I know you do sweetheart,” She locked eyes with her. “Which is why I want you to go right now.” Go!? Did she mean in her diaper? Emily knew she agreed to this, but saying and doing were different things! “Please! Don’t make me do this.” Emily started to plea and sob again, as she was fighting Joyce’s grip. Joyce didn’t feel great; forcing Emily to pee herself. But she’d need to do it at least once to know what it feels like. She wanted to push Emily at least that far before the day was over. This was it; the big moment. “Just relax. Instead of holding it back, give it a niiice...biiig...push.” She cooed into Emily’s ear, doing her best to calm her down. Emily’s body was rejecting everything Joyce tried to coax. It felt wrong, and she didn’t want to do something she hadn’t done in decades! “I can’t,” Emily begged between her sobs. “Please let me use the toilet!” “I know honey, it’s hard. Let mommy help you, okay?” “No! Please don’t!” Emily struggled as she knew what was to come. Her urge to pee was growing ever stronger and she did not want to do this in a diaper. Anything but that! This wasn’t right; she couldn’t do this! Emily’s fears only grew as the pressure built. Joyce couldn’t really want this! She’d be disgusted with her! With one arm still securing Emily, Joyce took her free hand and slowly rubbed her abdomen in a gyrating motion, applying a firm amount of pressure. “Please stop!” Emily was crying as Joyce pressed further, making the urge even stronger. Slowly she was reaching her literal bursting point. Joyce started to hum in Emily’s ear, as her struggling rapidly declined as it was already too late. Emily could feel a rush of pee escape her as it quickly broke out into a steady flow as if she were on a toilet. Only she wasn’t. She was in another woman’s lap. She tried to hold it back, but it was a losing battle, as once she started it was impossible to stop. The warm liquid crept up and down her front and all the way to her bottom. She cried freely as she thoroughly wet the diaper, her diaper. Joyce’s restraint turned into comfort as she stroked her hair and gave her a hug. The tenseness in her muscles had completely dissipated; too emotionally drained to bother moving. Not that she had anywhere to go anymore... “You did very well my good girl.” Joyce consoled the crying Emily. The stream stifled off into a few drops and then nothing. Emily couldn’t emotionally control herself, as she felt hot from her emotions and warm from the now used diaper. She could see the discoloration in the once white underwear as the strip had turned from yellow to blue. The initial shock had ruined her completely; this was too strange for her… “Good girl, Emily. I’m so proud of you! You’re my big strong girl...There, there…” She was...rewarding her? What Emily considered to be shameful and disgusting, was praise-worthy and delightful to Joyce. She was too confused right now, for betraying her body’s hardwired instincts and yet feeling the praise from her carer made everything seem okay. “You don’t...hate me?” Emily managed to hiccup through her tears. “Hate you? How could I ever hate my sweet Emily?” Joyce tightened her hug. “I want you to feel happy and safe; know that I will always love and care for you no matter what! I expect you to wet your diaper. I know it feels unnatural at first, but you took the first step, and it becomes easier every time…” Emily didn’t know how to feel about that, but there was comfort in knowing she had Joyce to lean on. Her diaper felt wet and squishy as she shifted, it was certainly a strange feeling on its own, but knowing that her urine was the culprit certainly didn’t help. “I feel gross…” Emily whined; she wanted to be out of this immediately. “That’s okay honey...it’s normal to feel that way at first. You haven’t done this in a long time, haven’t you?” “No…” “That’s right. But it’s all about rediscovering those feelings of being okay in a wet diaper. But, I want you to know that I love you all the same; no matter what. I don’t want you to feel embarrassed or ashamed when these sorts of things happen. They’re expected of you, and you should feel the same.” Emily still cried as she sorted through her feelings. Joyce was her emotional crutch right now as her world had just been turned upside down. But Joyce said it was okay...so she should feel alright… “I just want these feelings to go away…” Emily sobbed further as she turned in Joyce’s lap and cried into her shoulder. “I can help you feel better honey...would you like me to try something?” “Mhmm.” Emily mumbled from her shoulder; anything to make this situation feel good, or at least alleviate it in some way. “Mommy can teach you how to like wet diapers…” Joyce whispered into Emily’s ear; even feeling a bit apprehensive herself about what she was going to do. Like them? How could she do that? With one hand, Joyce cupped the front of Emily’s diaper as she slowly started to rub, up and down. Emily could feel the wet friction against her most sensitive parts as Joyce started to move her hand, up and down. “Joyce…? What’re you...doing?” She pulled from Joyce’s shoulder slightly, feeling a bit of stimulation in her nether regions. “Shhh, I’m making all the bad feelings go away. You did so well for me that you deserve a reward.” Joyce eased Emily’s head back towards her, slowly increasing the pressure and pace. “Joyce…” Emily started to take more breaths; starting to feel something...good. “Doesn’t it feel nice? Rubbing your diaper?” “No…” The shameful, yet aroused look on her face said differently, though. “Y...yes…” Emily was starting to pant a bit from the action Joyce was giving her. She wanted to say no after going through something so traumatizing, but she couldn’t help but embrace this rush of wonderfulness Joyce was creating. “I’m here to take care of you in every way…” Joyce said as she continued to rub. She didn’t know if this was the right thing to be doing, but she wanted to alleviate the pain Emily was feeling, somehow. Emily had put so much trust into her, she had to take her every step of the way. She could feel Emily start to tighten her grip on her body. Emily didn’t want her to stop...It felt so amazing, yet she felt so...naughty. What should be so embarrassing, Joyce helped her derive pleasure from. Was this right? Joyce said it was, so it had to be. Wasn’t that all that mattered? “You’re a good girl, Emily. I want to make you feel happy and to let you enjoy yourself when you’re in my care. It’s okay to feel this way, and to feel any other emotions when you’re with me. You’re my baby, and it’s my job to take care of you; I want to care for you. You don’t have to feel scared or embarrassed when you’re with me. I love you for who you are and will always, no matter what you do.” Emily couldn’t take it anymore. She started to moan and bury her face in Joyce’s shoulder. She simply clutched tightly as she let Joyce do all the work. She started to cry again as she reached an internal conflict. Her mind raced a mile a minute as Joyce rubbed more and faster. Finally, it stimulated her in just the right way, she reached her climax and felt a wave of pleasure wash over her body. Instantly she grew limp, the only thing supporting her being Joyce. Tears ran down her eyes as the sexual pleasure was overwhelming; shaking from the excitement. “You’ve done so well Emily…Such a good, good, girl.” Joyce now hugged Emily; happy to see Emily had truly felt pleasure. Emily knew she did something so embarrassing...but she felt so amazing right now. Her wet diaper was a thing of the past as she had now gone in it both ways, and it felt great. Being Joyce’s baby wasn’t so bad...Even at such an all-time low, Joyce made it feel amazing… “C-Can you...change me?” Emily said in a weak voice as she panted. “Of course, honey.” Joyce wasted no time taking her back to her room, laying Emily down, who was too tired to stir or really move. Up until now, she had the energy to move if Joyce didn’t guide her, yet feeling so drained now as Joyce did what she’d always done, Emily now knew what it was like to be cared for. She only had complete trust for someone who only made her feel such good things so often. She never knew what it could feel like to give someone else complete control; to be so submissive. It was scary--losing control, yet it felt so great to be guided by someone she trusted so much. Beyond her orgasm, Joyce created a whole new sense of feeling for her. This newfound pleasure Emily felt wasn’t sexual...it was simply being under Joyce’s absolute care... Emily felt a cool rush of air as the diaper was untaped and discarded, feeling the cool wipe guided by Joyce’s hand wash her clean. “Do you want to go back into panties, Emily?” Joyce asked, already accomplishing her goal for the day; not wanting to press her any further. “Yes please…” Emily spoke, still physically tapped; still shaken up. Emily looked to be in a state of pure bliss, as Joyce snaked a pair of panties up between her legs. Today had been a good day; turning out even better than Joyce expected. She slipped the monkey shirt off of Emily, even unclasping her bra and putting a new one on, met with little resistance from Emily. Joyce grabbed her some shorts and a T-shirt and dressed her in them as well, guiding the girl back to the couch as she came to her senses. Sitting down, Joyce asked: “So...how do you feel?” Emily looked as if she were about to cry again. “Amazing.”

Hi all, sorry about the long hiatus. Life, it happens to all of us. I honestly hope at least some of you find this chapter to be worth the wait. Chapter 4 “Yes, the Salon,” Kenzie replied, tapping his nose as she laid him onto the changing table and began to diaper him. “Honestly, Honey, Mommy really wants to lengthen your hair to style. Maybe darken the color a bit to match mine. Plus, you need your nails cut anyway, so they can deal with that so Mommy doesn't have to. I know what a squirmy baby you are.” To punctuate her point, she shook a plume of Baby powder over his crotch and began to rub it in with her hands, spreading it over his privates and butt and causing Chris to jump. She giggled at the glare he sent her. “You are so cute when you pout, Crystal,” she said, taping up the new diaper with a grin. Then, Chris noted with a hint of fear the devious glint in her eyes. “But I bet you'd be even cuter...if you giggled!” Suddenly he was under assault, the giant woman viciously blowing raspberries into his belly. He couldn't help himself, and soon was laughing up a storm. And with his new voice, it sounded even more childish. Once she allowed him to catch his breath, he was quickly dressed in a two-piece set of pajamas that were teal – not pink at least, he noted with a bit of relief – and bore gold lettering which declared 'I don't need Beauty Sleep...I'm already Gorgeous!' After being made to say 'Night-Night' to Jenny and Sarah, he was once again brought to the playpen in Kenzie's room, swaddled tight just like the previous night. His stuffed pony was laid next to him, and his mouth was quickly filled with the bulb of a pacifier as Kenzie kissed his head. A baby monitor was switched on and placed on her nightstand and the room became engulfed in darkness as she left him alone. Raising a brow, he managed to wriggle enough to get a look at the clock. 7:30 pm was the digital time which flashed out, and Chris grimaced. He hadn't been aware it was still so early. He supposed he should have expected it. After all, the crazed young lady was totally convinced he was a baby, and babies went to bed early. Turning his eyes toward the ceiling, he did the only thing he could and waited until his eyes had adjusted before beginning to scour the tiles for any patterns he might be able to see. After he passed out, he awoke sometime around midnight, the feeling of being hoisted into the air snapping him out of dreamland and back into his waking nightmare. He was thrown over Kenzie's shoulder and his mommy began to rub and pat his back. “What's going on?” he asked, before his stomach gurgled and he began to fill the back of his diaper. Now he was growing concerned. That time there was next to no warning. “Mama's just giving you some nummies. Doctor's orders, remember Sweetie? Dr. Nemeth said to feed you as often as I can.” With that, she began guiding his head to her nipple. Already, Chris was opening his mouth, but the warm, smelly squish in his diaper forced him to try and reject the liquid meal. “No! I just pooped, I need a change!” he whined, getting only an amused smile from Kenzie. “Mommy will change you after you eat, Sweet Pea,” she insisted, and immediately thrust his mouth onto her nipple. Her charge had enough mind to let out an indignant grunt before the milk-haze set in. “Thaaaaaat's it, Honey Pie,” Kenzie whispered. “See, you're ok. Babies poop their diapers. Sometimes they have to sit in it for a while. It's perfectly normal.” Her cell phone broke the soft whispers, and she quickly answered to the voice of Ashley. “Hey, I take it you're up feeding Crystal?” “Yeah. And I assume you're giving Lizzie a night-time feed. What did the Doctor say?” “Basically same as you. Breastfeed only, as often as possible.” Kenzie nodded, leaning herself and her Little back in her bed so she was propped against the headboard. “I figured as much. How's Lizzie taking the news?” Back at her own house, Ashley looked to the Little in her arms, feeling the girl's diaper grow warm and swell as the nursing Little suckled. She was looking past the breast and glaring up at Ashley, but the Amazon could see the Little's eyes beginning to droop. The new mommy smiled a bit at that. “She's adjusting,” she replied, patting Elizabeth's wet butt. She heard her daughter give one last infantile whine before the trance set in. “Anyway, you doing anything tomorrow? Cause you could come over here and we can have a playdate for the girls.” Kenzie smiled, rubbing Chris' back and crinkling her nose at the stench from her daughter's dirty diaper. “I think that can be arranged,” she said. “But it'll have to be earlier in the day. We're taking the girls to the salon tomorrow afternoon. Crystal needs a baby-makeover before she meets the family.” “Ooooh, sounds fun!” Ashley replied. “I can't wait to see her.” Both mothers noticed their Littles begin to squirm a bit. “Hang on,” they both said into their phones at once, hoisting their babies up and onto their shoulders. As they patted and rubbed the Littles' backs, both smiled at hearing the tiny belches of the others' daughter through the phones. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x As Chris was carried through the doorway of Ashley's home, he quickly began searching for Elizabeth. He would have called out to her but for the large pacifier shoved in his mouth. Thankfully there was little in the way of coos and coddling by the Amazons before he was plopped down on the floor in front of Elizabeth, who was looking more than a bit uncomfortable in her baby bouncer. The thing was electric by the look of it and was slowly rocking in an almost wave-like pattern. Based on Elizabeth's slightly green complexion, she was clearly getting a tad motion-sick. The pacifier was plucked from his mouth and Kenzie kissed his forehead. “You two play nice,” Ashley declared, she and Kenzie sauntering off to the kitchen. “How you holding up?” Chris asked, his voice still the high squeak of toddler girl. He had been given his inhalant first thing that morning, meaning he was well on his way to being permanently stuck with the voice of a two-year-old. “If you don't wanna be thrown-up on, I suggest you not stand in front of me...” Elizabeth groaned. “It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so bloated. My 'Mommy' has me on a feeding schedule of every three hours.” She spat the word Mommy with such venom that had either of the Amazon girls heard, he was sure Liz would be sporting a bright red bottom already. “Same,” Chris grunted, holding his stomach. “Until she starts going back to school at least. I may not be able to hold it for more than a second, but apparently the fact that I know I'm going to use the diaper at all beforehand is something she's trying to 'fix.” Chris shuddered at the thought. It was bad enough that he was already essentially incontinent after just a couple days, but to render him ignorant of his own urinating and bowel movements until after-the-fact...well, it wasn't a pleasant thought. A sudden stench reached his nose, and Elizabeth's face turned from green to red, seeing that he had smelled her. “Don't. Say. Anything!” she whispered harshly. Chris put his hands up defensively. “Wasn't going to,” he replied, but taking a step back all the same. “We literally pooped in front of each other just yesterday.” He heard the soft thumps of footsteps before his floral skirt was pulled up and the waistband of his diaper pulled back. “Not mine,” Kenzie announced in a sing-song voice, looking over her shoulder towards Ashley. “Want me to change Lizzie?” Ashley smiled and thanked Kenzie, going to get her changing supplies. Elizabeth however looked displeased. Chris could relate. It was bad enough to have a 'Mommy' wiping your butt and private parts. Neither of them liked the thought that literally any Amazon could change their diapers and the two Littles had absolutely no say. “P-U, smelly girl,” Kenzie said, taking Liz from the bouncer, patting her mess-filled behind a few times, firmly. Elizabeth was squirming now at the sensation of her wet, mushy poop being squished and spread against her crotch and butt even more. “And I thought Crystal was a little stink bomb.” Ashley returned, passing the changing supplies to the kneeling Kenzie. Not really wanting to watch the girl be embarrassingly cleaned, Chris chose to turn away from the scene. Unfortunately, having turned in the direction of the bouncer, it was somehow apparent to Ashley that he wanted a turn in it, and the young mother was more than happy to oblige. Chris quickly found himself lifted by the armpits and in mere seconds was plopped down into the seat, before being securely strapped in. A flick of a switch and the rolling wave-like motion began. Once again, he was facing Elizabeth, whose ankles were firmly held together and pulled into the air by Kenzie, her poop-covered rear-end on full display, among other things. Blushing profusely, Chris's eyes darted to the ceiling. Liz, likewise embarrassed for herself, covered her red face and teary eyes in her hands, breathing deeply to try and stave off a full on wail. The attention of all but the occupied Kenzie was quickly turned to the opening door of the house, as well as the Amazon couple entering with an infant carrier. “Knock, Knock!” The woman declared cheerfully, ignoring the panicked squeal of Elizabeth. Chris noticed however. This new arrival was clearly not popular with the babied woman, and one look into the infant carrier her husband carried made it clear why. While he hadn't known him prior to the trip, Chris could definitely recognize Jake strapped inside it. And if that was Liz's boyfriend, that made this Ashley's sister. Emmy, he thought he remembered her saying. Likely short for Emily. “Hiiii, Kenzie,” Emmy greeted, eyes darting mischievously between her younger sister and her friend. “Heeeeey, Emmy,” Kenzie replied in kind, handing the now clean and diapered Liz back to Ashley. Elizabeth looked fearfully into the carrier holding Jake, and Chris took note that the young man was barely awake, his eyes fluttering and a bit of drool running down his chin. Kenzie then turned and gave a little wave to what could only be Emmy's husband. “How's it going, Tony? Keeping this one in check?” “Ha!” The man exclaimed. “Good one. I learned early on that the secret to a good marriage is she does what she wants, and I stand back and watch the catastrophe.” “Ha Ha,” snarked Emmy with a playful smile and a roll of her eyes, unstrapping the little from his carrier. “The feeling is mutual, Sweetheart. Sorry to interrupt your playdate, but Mom wanted to see little Jake after we had his work done.” A bit more awake now after being laid down on the floor, Jake struggled to move, but found he couldn't get off his back. What little movement he could get from his legs were some occasional weak twitches and kicks. As all the eyes were on him, Emmy leaned in close, cooing to the little she had forcibly adopted. “How 'bout it, Honey Pie? Any of your little swears you wanna throw at Mommy or Daddy.” Whatever Jake was expecting to come from his own mouth, the gurgling and babble of an infant was not it. Nor was it helped that he had no teeth in his mouth. Elizabeth had to shove her thumb in her own mouth to keep from screaming outright. But as Jake came to the realization that his ability to speak had somehow been taken from him, he and his girlfriend began to wail in tandem. Though Jake's wailing sounded way to close to the cries of an actual baby for Chris's liking. Jake was quickly silenced with a pacifier and hefted over Emmy's shoulder so she could comfort him. “Jake here wasn't too happy about Mommy and Daddy taking his walking away...no he wasn't” Emmy explained. “He threw a giant tantrum, kicking and biting, and he said some very adult words. So Mommy and Daddy decided to fix that too. Now our Jake is just as a Little should be, aside from needing a mild attitude adjustment.” “Cartoon time?” Kenzie asked, but Emmy groaned at the thought. “Mind-wiping hypnosis? I'm not cruel, Kenz,” she replied. “Littles won't learn anything if we scrub their brains. No, I think lots of love, plenty of meaningful punishments when needed, and good positive reinforcement during their milk hazes is just what they need.” “Reinforcement during the hazes? What?” Chris thought, eyes narrowing as Kenzie smiled and nodded. “Same,” his Mommy said. “A few soft praises during feedings goes a long way.” “Wait, what?” Chris now thought back to anything he could recall about his feeding, but they were mostly blank. “So, is this some sort of passive hypnosis? What sort of things does she whisper in my ear while I'm sucking on her tit? How long until I can't even think of her name as anything but 'Mommy?' How long until I can't think of myself as male anymore?” He was broken from his musing as Emmy lifted him from the bouncer. “Hello, Cutie Pie. Looks like you got what you needed anyway, huh?” she said with a sly smile at him, before turning back to Kenzie. “Good choice making him into a her, by the way. I probably wouldn't have thought of it, but she's just such a cutie as a girl.” As the two Amazon Mommies began discussing the story of how Chris had become Crystal, the aforementioned Little was getting extremely uncomfortable. Emmy was cradling him rather close, his cheek pressed against her left breast. A breast that was almost bigger than Ashley's, and undoubtedly filled with milk. The thought made his mouth begin to salivate, and he whined, breaking the conversation. “I think she's getting hungry,” Emmy announced. “Is she on the same diet as Lizzie?” “Mmmhmm,” Kenzie replied, taking her Little and beginning to lift her shirt, revealing the nursing bra underneath. “I might start doing that with Jake,” Emmy continued. “I was planning on letting him keep eating pureed baby food, but only a couple days in and my breasts are sore, and full-to-bursting. But my Little boy fills up so quickly, and the last thing I want to do is forcibly overfeed him and make him sick.” “Well, if you wanna take Lizzie, Sis, it's time for her feeding too,” Ashley chimed in, offering up the trembling Little to her sister. As Chris latched onto Kenzie's breast, the last thing he saw before the milk haze took over was a very pale, squirming Elizabeth being handed off to her very grateful-looking Auntie. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x When Chris finally came to, he moaned, finding himself back in the baby bouncer, his diaper very wet and very messy. He looked to the couch to see Emmy laying across it, completely topless. Jake on one tit, Liz on the other. He noticed just at the edges of the leg holes of Elizabeth's disheveled diaper, her skin had a faint red tint. Likely she had thrown a fit over having to feed from yet another Amazon's breasts and got rather soundly spanked for it. Emmy gave him a very satisfied smile. “Don't worry, sweetheart. Mommy and Auntie Ash are just upstairs in your Auntie's room, and it's still about two hours before your salon appointment.” Chris didn't honestly want to know just what they were doing in there. Tilting her head back to look over the couch to the kitchen and her husband, Emmy called to him. “Hon, would you mind changing Crystal? I'd do it myself, but you know...arms full.” Chris paled. It was one thing to be changed by Mommy. Another thing to be changed by another Amazon. It was an entirely worse thing than that to him, the idea of his butt and private parts being cleaned and touched by another man. Rising, Tony replied in the affirmative. He didn't dare fight back against the inevitable, but Chris still tried to shrink away back into the bouncer chair as the Amazon man approached, carrying Kenzie's diaper bag. “Come here, Princess,” Tony said softly, unhooking Chris from the bouncer and depositing him onto a changing pad he had laid out on the floor upon entering the living room. Chris squeaked as his floral skirt was merely slipped off, leaving him in just a shirt and poopy diaper in front of these generally new people. Before he knew it, his diaper was pulled open, exposing his privates to the cooler air. The Little did everything possible not to squirm too much. The last thing he wanted was for this couple to be the ones to dole out a punishment. It was not easy though, as Tony was being quite thorough with that cold wipe. As the final puff of baby powder was applied and massaged all over his crotch, the Little let out a relieved sigh. New diaper taped up, Tony slipped his skirt back on. Over on the couch, Emmy smiled again. “Don't forget to thank Uncle Tony now, Sweetheart,” she said softly, easing Jake off her right nipple and with one hand slipped him onto the couch nestled between her legs. She let Liz continue to suckle for a few moments before switching her to the side previously occupied by Jake, urging the girl to finish what her 'cousin' hadn't eaten. “Thank you, Uncle Tony,” Chris stammered. Tony just smiled down at him. “Any time, Princess.” With a yelp, Chris was quickly lifted by his armpits, and just as quickly placed inside a playpen in the corner of the living room. As Tony began to walk away with the balled-up soiled diaper, Chris stood. The pen was massive. If he stretched his arms toward the ceiling, his fingers would just barely brush over the top. Frowning with a sigh, Chris plopped down on his diapered butt. There were a few stuffed toys, and a few noise-making toys. They could have at least put something for him to draw with in the playpen. Now the room was silent, apart from the suckling of Liz, and the sound of Tony patting Jake's back, trying to draw a belch from the Little. Deciding to not even bother fighting the ensuing boredom, Chris merely threw himself back onto the stuffed animals and closed his eyes. Even if he couldn't sleep, maybe feigning it would keep the Amazons off his back for a little bit. As he listened to the sounds of the room, he heard a few burps from Jake, and Emmy was now trying to do the same to Liz. And having suckled far more milk than Jake, Elizabeth's gas bubbled up far quicker and far more explosively than his. At the sounds of Emmy getting up from the couch, Chris had to force himself to keep his eyes closed. He went rigid though as the Amazon laid her adopted niece down uncomfortable close to him, draping her arm over him in a bid to have the girls 'hug.' Unfortunately, despite being a 'Little,' Liz was a fully grown adult woman. And the fact she wasn't allowed to wear a bra meant her boobs were now thoroughly squished against his body. Cracking one eye open discretely, he noticed hers were squeezed tightly shut, and she was blushing so red she looked like a tomato. Apparently she had come out of her milk haze very fast, and was following his lead in pretending to sleep now. And she was definitely as uncomfortable about this situation as he was. Sure, her boyfriend was practically no more than an infant bodily now, but he was still of sound mind, and he was currently in the room. Sure enough, the two heard Jake see them as he began to squawk and babble furiously. “Oh hush, Honey Pie,” Emmy chided, shoving Jake's pacifier into his mouth and securing it in place before turning to her husband who was still holding their Little. “Come on, we'll let them sleep. I'll make us some lunch.” Once the couple had moved into the kitchen, Chris and Liz cracked their eyes open slightly to look at each other. “I'm so sorry,” Chris whispered, practically only mouthing his words he was so quiet. The girl couldn't speak for a moment, only sniffling in response, before asking the question Chris had asked himself a hundred times in the last two days. “How are we going to get out of this?” Chris wanted to give the young woman an answer. He really did. But at the moment, he could not see any hope for their situation.

Within the Magical Realm, it was possible to travel great distances in short times. There were the airships that speed people between different regions and even arcane devices that would teleport individuals from one part of the realm to another in but a blink of an eye. However the faster the method, the less likely one might pass unnoticed. So Kristine had been told. Which was why they were taking the Ebony Zephyr, which was a ‘dark ride’ according to Tac. Whatever that meant. When they had reached a central station, someplace that looked like it was underwater to Kristine, Gwens had left them. Kristine thought she might miss her. Gwens was the only decent Liaison. Tac was Tac, and Gorgeous was fixated on Umon, and only tangentially interested in Kristine’s problems. So Gwens concerns and kindness had been welcome, though she often had treated Kristine as if she were a child. All things considered, as she walked down a long staircase, at that moment, Kristine would not have minded if Gwens had come along. The staircase descended below a floor and Kristine could see the Ebony Zephyr’s platform. She came to a stop on the stairs. At that moment she had her pacifier in her mouth, so she was invisible to all the people around her. Usually stopping on the stairs like that might have had someone bump into her, even if she was not invisible, but she was also wearing her cloak. People just avoided her without knowing they were doing it. “Move your fat, diapered ass before someone accidentally trips into you,” Tac said from Kristine’s shoulder. Kristine almost said that her ass was not fat, but as it was diapered, she was pretty sure that would just give Tac an opening for another insult. She resumed her descent down the stairs. The reason that she had stopped was that seeing the platform allowed her to see the Ebony Zephyr, and the Ebony Zephyr was like nothing she had seen before. Well, that was a lie. It was a lot like a train, which of course she had seen before. The engine was neither the sleek diesel electrics she knew nor even the blocky steam engines of an earlier time. It looked nothing so much like an enormous metal spider. Or at least a spider that had more legs than eight. Many more legs than eight. Each of those many jointed legs ended in a wheel. Only some of the wheels were currently on the steel tracks. The rest were lifted into the air. It made her wonder of the path they were to travel that would require so many different wheels. Then, once she could tear her attention from the engine, there were the cars. All in all, they looked like train cars she was used, though there were odd angles that disappeared and new ones appeared as she walked. And down on the platform, she could see some connections were not the simple single link that she knew, but multiple linkages, some not, at that moment, connected. And then there were the wheels. It was not just a collection of single wheels that rode on the track. Behind each wheel, canted at a slightly different angle were several wheels. Like shark’s teeth. A new wheel ready to pop into place. Again she had to wonder about the tracks they would travel on. A dark ride, Tac had said. She might have dallied on the platform, just to look at this thing that was almost a train, but then was not. However, Gorgeous walked ahead of her with a no-nonsense stride, and there was no opportunity to simply stand and stare. So Kristine, other than pauses, had to follow, with her diaper crinkle and waddle unnoticed by those around her. About six cars down Gorgeous entered the train like thing. Kristine followed after her. There were six compartments in the car. Gorgeous entered the second compartment down from the entrance. The space beyond the door was much larger than one-sixth of the car. It was perhaps even larger than the car. Kristine supposed that was why the angles seemed odd and had changed. Kristine was getting used to the fact that structures in the Magical Realm were not constrained by simple three-dimensional geometry. “Well, here we are,” Gorgeous said, tossing her small bag to the floor before walking across the room and sitting down in a love seat near the windows. Tac jumped down from Kristine’s shoulder, becoming a woman upon her paws, feet, touching the carpeted floor. “Couldn’t even spring for a first class cabin?” “I am not spending agency money just so you can have some servants,” Gorgeous told Tac. “This is more than enough.” “It’s tho big,” Kristine said as she took off her cloak and let her pacifier fall from her mouth. Tac snorted as she lazily dropped into a club chair. She ran her finger across the arm and said, “Nice leather, you shouldn’t sit in these Kristine. In case your diaper leaks.” “My diaper ith not going to leak,” Kristine snapped and hated that she just said that. Tak smiled and leaned back in the chair. Gorgeous just shook her head, looking exhausted, perhaps disgusted. Was it Tac, or her, or the both of them that engendered such a look, Kristine wondered. Kristine crossed the to the curtains and twitched them to the side, so as not to reveal herself to anyone outside the train. She was surprised, no, she was shocked, so much so she let the curtain drop and took a step back. Maybe she peed a little. What she had seen out the window was not the other side of the train, but the platform she had just left. She turned, looked at the cabin door behind her, which she was certain was on the same side as the platform. Gorgeous must have guessed the reason for her consternation for she said, “The windows look out at the most interesting side of the train.” “Oh,” Kristine said. “Not that there is much interesting to see,” Tac got up from the chair. “I’m going to get something to eat. Want me to bring anything back Gorgeous?” “Whatever the lunch special is.” “What about me?” Kristine asked as Tac reached the door. Tac looked back at Kristine, smiled, “You got your magic bag full of your bottles and baby food. Eat that.” She left the room before Kristine could reply. Kristine gritted her teeth and before she could stop herself stamped her foot hard on the floor. “Don’t let her get to you,” Gorgeous said. Kristine looked at Gorgeous, still angry, and asked, tone harder than Gorgeous deserved, “And do you keep her from getting to you?” Gorgeous frowned, then shrugged her shoulders. “I try.” The Ebony Zephyr had left the station, departing so smoothly Kristine was hardly aware they were moving. When she realised that they were in motion, she pulled back the curtains, sat in one of the chairs beside the windows, and looked out. The scenery beyond was strange. Uncertain, Kristine thought after several minutes of watching. She saw a forest in the distance but was struck by the sensation that it was not quite a forest, and as a result, might stop being a forest at any moment. Only the terrain directly beside the train seemed stable. The ballast and the cess, though she could not see the rails. When she thought that she found herself looking down at the rails and the sleepers and she fell from the chair to the floor. He diaper squished under her bottom. Tac, who had returned, said, “The windows show you what is most interesting, or sometimes what you want to see. Stupid.” Kristine bit back an angry retort, recalling what Gorgeous had said. “I thee, thank you,” Kristine said as she stood. Her diaper felt heavy, hanging heavy on her slim hips. She tried not to waddle as she went to the bathroom where she had Mr Bear help her with a diaper change. As she lay on the changing pad Mr Bear had put on the floor Kristine looked at her plushie caretaker. The patchy places on his fur, where his seams had ripped, seemed a little less patchy. Hopefully he was healing, or however, it was that plushie golems recovered from damage. Back in the sitting room, she returned to her seat. She hated that she paused for a moment, looking down at the leather, worried that she would see a stain on it. She sat and looked out the windows again. Once more the strange scenery captured her attention. “Most people cannot look at it for so long,” Gorgeous said some indeterminable time later as she came to stand at Kristine’s side. Kristine looked away from the windows, noticed Tac was not there, wondered if she had left, decided she did not care. “Why?” she asked. “Out there is the primal magic that the Magical Realm came from. Infinite possibility bubbling up to form the world ad the people.” Kristine looked back out again, a sense of wonder gripping her. “For people from the Mundane Realm, it would be like floating next to one of your stars. As beautiful as it might be it is also destructive and so very bright.” “Is it becauthe I am from the Mundane Realm I can look out at it?” “It is because you are tied to it.” Kristine looked up at Gorgeous. “Normal magic would not last in the Mundane Realm. The power of Magical Girls is collected out there, in its most primal form, so chaotic it can even survive in the Mundane Realm.” “Collected?” “By Liaisons. We go out there and absorb it, incubate it, so we can pass it into Magical Girls.” Kristine looked out again. “Does anyone elthe go out there?” “Not unless they are suicidal. No, not suicidal. More that they do not want to continue existing as they are. You have to be very powerful, or made to survive out there, to not be changed by that land.” “Is that why we are taking thith route?” “With all the chaos around us, it is difficult to track anyone, once they are down here.” “Tho does anyone put agents on thith twain?” “Probably, but I doubt that should concern us.” Kristine nodded but said nothing, her attention once again caught by the scenery outside the window. She would stare out them until later, when she suddenly rushed to the bathroom, a moment away from filling the seat of her diaper. Afterwards, she was careful not to let her attention be so captured by the strange landscapes the Ebony Zephyr travelled through. Kristine did not want to stay in the cabin all the time. She did not really enjoy spending time with her travelling companions. She wandered the train, with her cloak on and hood up, no one really seeing her. Sometimes she would slip out of the cloak so she could interact with people. It was subtler than being invisible. She found the passengers odd. She knew why she and the other two were on the Ebony Zephyr. Why anyone else was, she could not really figure. No one else seemed to care for the view, and almost every window she saw had the curtains drawn, so no one had to look outside. And what Tac had said about the train being the choice of old people seemed true as well. While she could not be certain of some of the passengers, the human appearing ones did indeed look old, for the most part. Was this what retired people in the Magic Realm did? She wanted to ask but did not want to express ignorance that might give her away. And she was not about to ask Tac. So she let herself be curious, and watched people, trying to figure it out. Watching people, and the fact she went unnoticed most of the time thanks to her cloak, let her pick up on things. Get a feel for what her fellow passengers and the crew were really like. It was how she was able to spot the man, or at least man-shaped, attacker when he tried to corner Gorgeous. Kristine had spotted him the day before, two days into the trip. He had been in the dining car, which was huge, sitting alone at a table. Kristine, seated at the bar, drinking something that was like coffee, had noticed he was watching Gorgeous. As he did not do anything more than watch she discounted it. Gorgeous was an attractive woman and if some man was watching her the most innocent reason was probably the right one. However he stuck in her mind, and the next day when she saw him slip from the dining car as if attempting stealth, shortly after Gorgeous had left, she decided to follow. She hoped she would not come upon them making out. That would be embarrassing. Instead, she found them between cars, the man wrapping Gorgeous up in flexible bands dispensed by a flying device that looked like an extra large tape dispenser. The bands had gagged Gorgeous, and she could not call out, and her ability to struggle was limited. The man said to Gorgeous, “Don’t fight them or you’ll just hurt yourself.” Kristine acted quickly. Unseen she rushed up to the man, calling her mace as she did. She smashed the tape device from the air, shattering it as she knocked it to the ground. The man drew a long knife, looking around him for the source of the attack. Kristine did not want to fight on the train, or near Gorgeous. She grabbed the man by his shoulder. He was fast and slashed her across the back of her hand. He cut her, but the wound looked minor. Dismissing her mace, she pushed a curtain aside with her now free hand and looked out at the land the train was passing through. Then she teleported the man and herself out of the train. They ended up a few feet above a rocky plain. Kristine was ready for it and landed well, calling her mace back as her feet touched down. Her opponent was not so lucky, and fell onto his back. He was quick though and was back up on his feet. He slashed around himself with the long bladed knife, and spoke something guttural. Green flame erupted along the edge of the blade, dripping and splashing from the steel like gel. Where the green fire hit it hissed and burnt holes into the rock. Kristine did not want to be hit by either blade or dripping flame. She came around on his inside and slammed her mace into the hand holding the knife. He grunted in pain, and the knife fell from his hand. It was not anything approaching a fair fight. She swept his legs out from under him and then dropped the mace head on his chest. As she had learned with Cassar, the weight of the weapon was a useful tool. Kristine pushed her hood back so he would be able to see her. “Who are you?” she demanded. The man tried to twist out from under the mace. Kristine let it settle some more. He grunted in pain. “Bounty Hunter. I’m trying to capture that Gorgeous woman,” he said. “Help me and I’ll split my fee with you. I can get you more money than she could be paying you for protection.” “Who thent you?” “I can’t…” Kristine added her own strength and started pushing the weight of the mace against him. He gasped. “Cassar Red. He’s put a contract out on the woman.” “He knew she wath on the Zephyr?” “No,” he told her. “I spotted her.” “Does Cathar know.” The man shook his head. Kristine asked again, “Does Cathar know?” She shifted the mace, so a smaller surface area was pressing against him, resting on a rib. He cried out. “No. I was going to capture Gorgeous and not say anything, wait for the bounty to go up.” Kristine let up with the mace and looked around. The Ebony Zephyr had continued on, was some distance away. She took the mace away from the man and walked away. “I’ll leave you here.” “Wait! What? You can’t…” Kristine teleported back to the train, to the space between cars where Gorgeous had been, not waiting to hear anything else the man might say. She found Gorgeous in her canine form, working her way out of the wrappings. Kristine helped her, tearing them away. “Thank you,” Gorgeous said. “That man, he…” “Let’s talk about it back in the cabin. Come on.” Kristine nodded, took a moment to hide the wrappings and the broken dispenser, then followed after Gorgeous. Gorgeous opened the door to the sleeping compartment Tac used. “We need to…” she stopped. Kristine heard Tac say, “Close the door or get naked and join us.” Gorgeous closed the door. She was blushing as she turned to Kristine. “Tac is entertaining,” she said. Kristine sighed. She walked to the door, opened it, and stepped into the compartment. Grabbing the woman in bed with Tac Kristine dragged the woman from the bed, shoved her clothing into her arms, and over Tac’s angry outburst she pushed the woman out of the cabin. When she turned back, she saw Tac striding out of the sleeping compartment, naked. Kristine had never seen Tac without clothing and found herself staring at the woman’s beautiful body, hardly listening to what Tac was saying, which mostly was just insults. “Tac, shut up,” Gorgeous told her. “I was just attacked.” That seemed to get through to Tac, who ducked into the compartment and came out a short time later, once more dressed. “What the hell happened?” Gorgeous told her part of the story. Kristine told hers. “Do you think he told you the truth?” Gorgeous asked. Kristine nodded. “I think tho. He didn’t tell Cathar.” “At least we don’t have to worry about being attacked again. Unless another of Cassar’s agents gets lucky.” Kristine nodded. “So you just left him out there?” Tac said. “That’s pretty cold.” “What?” Kristine asked, then remembered what Gorgeous had told her. Tak’s lips settled into a smirk. “Might as well have killed him.” “Let it go Tac,” Gorgeous said. Kirstine, who had been standing, sat in one of the chairs as if she was a puppet whose strings had been cut. Her diaper’s padding was wet. She had not even thought about what might happen to that man when she had left him. It was not that he might die or be changed so fundamentally that he might as well be dead that bothered Kristine. She had killed a few of the Red Caps, and that War Titan, but those actions had been in the middle of battle, and with no other option. And she had not really even thought about what might happen when she had left the man. She stood, walked to the window and pulled back the curtain. “I should go and get him.” “It’s too late,” Gorgeous said. “But…” “He’s beyond help,” Tac said. “You must have left him in an unsettled area. It affected you, even after a short time. Idiot.” “What? But it does not affect Magical Girls.” Tac laughed. Kristine turned towards Gorgeous. Gorgeous shrugged her shoulders. “It has made you more of a Magical Girl, more powerful, more a Nursery Knight.” Kristine ran to the bathroom, to the mirror over the sink. For a moment she thought that Tac and Gorgeous had been playing a trick on her, for the face in the mirror was the one she had grown used to. But then Kristine noticed the lines of her jaw were softer, her eyes appearing a little larger. There had been hints of adolescent in her face, but those had been smoothed away. Her limbs were a little skinnier, and just maybe she was shorter. And her uniform had bits of lace that had not been there before. A far more babyish effect, she thought. “Looks at the bright side,” Gorgeous said from the doorway. “You are more powerful now.” Kristine turned to look at her. Perhaps another year had been erased, and Gorgeous wanted her to look on the bright side? She almost started crying. She swallowed back the tears. “Hopefully when we find Umon I will have a target for this new strength.” Tahc had once been a Liaison before she had quit. She still had friends and acquaintances in the department, and they liked to gossip. Gorgeous ran too tight of a ship for those people to tell her anything confidential, and whatever Gorgeous was doing fell under that category. Tahc had to be careful. It would be too easy to ask the wrong question or press a little too hard. If she did that, then her friends and acquaintances might start to wonder why their old friend Tahc had shown up at this time. And she could not stay too long, or try to see too many people. She had to be precise and careful. Stopping by her old office to say hello she ran into Ushima. Tahc suggested they go out for lunch and Ushima agreed. Ushima was, in animal form, oxen. She was a large, robust woman, and Tahc had to remind herself that she was not slow and dumb, because it was easy to think that she was just that. And when you let yourself believe that Ushima was an easy mark that was when you became the mark. However, she was not a predator like Tahc, and she tended to see those she worked with as part of her herd. Over lunch Tahc did most of the talking, telling Ushima what she had been up to. Most of it truthful cause she needed to prime the pump, as it were. Ushima was, in fact, one of the office’s intelligencers and collected rumour and whispers and distilled it to information. And as Tahc helped her, by giving Ushima the information she needed, Tahc’s position moved from outside of the herd to the inside of the herd. Tahc felt the change and decided it was time to strike. She made her attack carefully, simply asking, “How is everyone anyways? It has been months since I last had a chance to talk to anyone.” Relaxed, Ushima smiled and said. “Well enough. We’ve got some of the Liaisons out in the Mundane World, but things are quiet enough there. Penelope got hurt in a fight with the newest Nightmare Queen but she should recover, and Gwens is taking some recovery time.” Target acquired, Tahc thought, but it was important to distract attention from what she did not want Ushima thinking more on. “There is a new Nightmare Queen?” “Oh yes,” Ushima said with a smile. “Minor nobility from out beyond the Blood Seas, trying to prove she should inherit. Took off to the Mundane Realm to try to build up a power base. They never learn.” “You should be glad, You’d be out of a job if they did.” Ushima laughed and raised her glass. “Cheers.” Later, after lunch, Tahc went to look at some records. There was no reason why she could not ask to see them, except it would be noticed. So she had to go through a back channel, and pay a lot for confidentiality. The next day she had a copy of Gwens' records. Any Liaison who had been on Mountain Seven and had met with a War Titan might have been hurt. The records, of course, had nothing about any of Gwens recent work. Tahc would not have expected them to. She was more interested in what reason that Gorgeous might have had to include Gwens in the hunt for Umon. And then, in a list of previous missions, she found it. Or at least she thought she did. Gwens had been one of the Liaisons on the Nursery Knight Project. So that tied it all together. Though she still did not know who the possible Magical Girl with Gorgeous was. Unless Gwens was there for more than information on Umon’s part in the Nursery Knight project. “I’ll be damned,” Tahc said as she got to her feet. The Duke of Threes would be interested in this. Very interested if she was right.

In response to the question in the original post, its not necessarily generational. I would say that cultural attitudes about sexuality (and other lifestyles) have changed rapidly and drastically within just the past 10 years. In 2008, both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were running for the Democratic Party's nomination for president. Both of them said quite clearly that marriage is something that should ONLY be between men and women. In 2019, we live in a different time where much has changed. Virtually no one even argues about gay marriage anymore and its been made law by the Supreme Court. Both former President Obama and Hillary Clinton say their position 'evolved'. A huge number of people who were once uncomfortable with gay marriage now openly accept gay friends and family members. We didn't need to wait for a new generation of people to be born for this to happen. That being said, many young people can't remember a time when gay people couldn't get married. Today, being homophobic is far more of a risk in the national spotlight than being gay. Attacks on comedian Kevin Hart for his decade old comments on gay people show that anything remotely homophobic is not socially acceptable anymore in the developed, western world. Though there are certainly more rural enclaves and subcultures that are very homophobic. Transgender people find increasing levels of acceptance and representation in media and even among major celebrities too. (Though transgender people are still victims of violence.) Facebook has a total of 58 separate gender identities for its users to choose from. The erotic novel '50 Shades of Grey' has been criticized by many but it undeniably pushed the BDSM lifestyle more into the mainstream. (Even if the book isn't the best representation of BDSM) "Furries" are very visible in online communities, even if they are sometimes the butt of jokes. I dated a young woman in her early 20s who was probably the most accepting of ABDL people that I have met so, yes, younger generations might be more open minded. Younger people also have more brain plasticity than older people so its easier to incorporate new ideas into their worldview. So with all of that, we have a culture that is more likely to be accepting of ABDL people. But that doesn't mean that its not still a fetish and/or lifestyle that many people struggle to understand or, in some cases, just know nothing about. Its always easy to fear what you don't understand. The only reason so many people 'understand' LGBT individuals is because they are very visible in society and in media. Ironically, I once saw a poster on Daily Diapers say the following: "I sometimes just wish I was gay... it would be so much easier than being ABDL!" In response to those posters who say "keep this to yourself", I tend to agree. A person's sex life is best kept in the bedroom. For me, while this is certainly part of my identity and not entirely sexual, it is still something I do in the privacy of my own home. That being said, when something become an actual lifestyle, then it becomes harder to hide from close friends and family. There's a big difference between a bedroom kink and a lifestyle. To each their own. Tell or don't tell whomever you wish but be prepared for the negative consequences and negative reactions. The more people you share this with, the higher the risk that you might meet someone who doesn't understand. And of course, there is absolutely no reason to expose your ABDL lifestyle to strangers in public places. If you want to wear a diaper in public under your clothes, there's nothing wrong with that. But don't expose your diaper to other people. (Its sad that this part even needs to be stated)