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Chapter 51: Competitions I WAS SLOWLY eating a plate of pasta while waiting for Beth to catch up. She’d left her stuff down, and I figured she’d be back any moment. That was when Jack, Levi, and Elijah from my nest and another boy I vaguely remembered being introduced as Ezra came and sat down without asking at the table. I hoped maybe they were there as friends, unlike Grayson and Liam, who had stood up and left with some others before Beth came by. “So, you’re nothing but a helper, huh?” Elijah said in a tone that quickly dispelled any hopes of friendship. “Huh?” I asked, “What’s a helper?” “Stupid baby doesn’t know what a helper is?” Ezra sneered. “It’s you!” “How?” “How is right! How is it you are the only one in our entire dorm not in a diaper yet?!?” Jack asked. “Not to mention the only one still allowed a potty chart,” Levi complained. “Honestly, I have no idea why I’ve not had accidents like you guys…” I started to say. “Accidents are actual accidents, you little helper; these are full-on brainwashing, and you are in league with the enemy!” Elijah accused. “What…?” I asked. “My friend saw you at the welcome back night! After lights out in our dorm! Your future mommy Mackenzie took you as a treat for you being a helper!” Jack accused. “Yeah, and you’ve been up every morning before us. I asked Liam, and he said you get to go swimming with your mommy every morning!” Elijah said. “And you get to go off-campus on the weekends?!?” Levi piped in. “I didn’t ask for…” I was genuinely feeling like I was a little kid getting ready to get jumped for something on the playground right then. Just as I was about to try and say something else, I heard a voice clearing, “Well, hello, boys!” the sickly-sweet voice of Miss Madelyn cooed at us. “Are you all having fun together?” She came closer and knelt by the end of the table, “Playing nicely together?” “Yes, Miss Madelyn,” Levi said nervously. “Huh… Because I get the feeling you’re not. Why don’t you three leave this nice little boy alone and come eat lunch with me here? I’m guessing he has lots of important studying he needs to do based on what he’s reading. As soon as I finish lunch, I’ll even change those soggy diapees you’re all wearing!” They all looked at each other before Ezra said, “Sure, Miss Madelyn, that sounds great!” Elijah was a straggler, and he left saying, “You better watch your back, helper. I will make sure you aren’t on some pedestal much longer!” I was stunned and trying to figure out what the hell happened since Friday when Beth returned with a concerned look. “What did they want?” she asked. “To warn me?” I said tentatively. “They think I’m some kind of ‘helper?’” She made a face at that. “What exactly is a helper?” I asked. “Think teacher’s pet… but worse. Littles think they’re sell-outs who help Bigs capture and destroy Littles. It’s probably one of the worst things they can think of a person?” “Great!” I said. “I just hope I don’t have to beat them up…” “What are they angry about?” “Mackenzie letting me swim, taking me to the welcome back night, me getting to go off-campus for the weekends… and of course, the fact I’m still using the potty.” “This semester sucks,” she said to me. “Yeah, parts of it do…” We ate quietly, and I asked her, “Would it be better if I just gave up the potty and went back to diapers?” She shook her head, “At this point, I don’t think so… maybe if you’d been here this weekend.” “I just hope they don’t do anything too stupid,” I worried. I looked at the time, “Guess I need to get to the seminar… I’ll see you in cinema class? Save a seat for me?” “Of course,” she said. I walked over towards her, said, “Thanks,” and hugged her before disappearing via a bathroom stop and heading to Destiny Hall. Several nest mothers were at the door and doing diaper checks. We had about ten minutes before class, so they thought they had time to change them. I was stopped by Miss Lucy, “Well, hi there, Connor!” “Hi, Miss Lucy.” “I just want to check to see if you had an accident? Do you mind?” She asked sweetly. “I didn’t have one, but I know you’ll check anyway.” She smiled. I expected her to pull my pants down, but instead, she just reached her hand inside and felt the Pull-Up, then turned me around to look at the back. “Well, look this big boy! All clean and dry, and the only one still wearing big boy pants, too!” I blushed, “May I go sit down now?” “Why sure, sweetie!” As I walked away, another wasn’t so clean. “Wow, Tina! What a messy diapee! Let’s just change that real quick!” I turned and was stunned that the girl was just pushed onto a changing mat spread out on the floor by the door. She was stripped naked in front of the other entering students for her diaper change as if she were a toddler with no privacy concerns! I blushed but found a seat next to Ava and Amy. “Hi,” I said, nervous they would hate me too. “Hey!” Ava said, “How come we didn’t see you this weekend?” “Went home with my grandma again,” I told her. “You’re so lucky!” Amy said. “I don’t know what they did to us… but everyone is in diapers now!” “I heard,” I told them. Anxious to switch subjects, I asked, “How are your classes going?” “Great!!!” Amy said. “Physics here is so much fun!” She paused, “even if I don’t understand half of the terms they use?” “I’ve had that problem in some of my classes, but I think I’m catching up with a lot of studying,” I told her. “I need to study more, but they keep putting us to bed sooooo early! Especially since whatever happened this weekend? We lost three girls from our nest, and now the whole dorm has to go to bed by 6?!?” “Yeah, that will be rough for me today; my last class doesn’t end until 5!” I mentioned. “How about you, Ava?” I asked. “History here is so intriguing, but it is also really hard to keep track of differences. It’s like we have parallel cultures on some things, and they’re the exact same names and events, but then bam! One change and everything is out of whack! Like this whole Base Sixty math that never disappeared after the Babylonian civilization…?” Ava could have nerded out on a conversation for hours more, but Dean Northrup came to the lectern right then. “Good afternoon, boys and girls!” She said in a sweet voice that made me want to gag. “Good afternoon,” everyone, in unison, said back to her. “We have a bit of special information for you all today! We seem to have had a setback in using the potty for nearly everyone in the dorms, so we wanted to make sure we talked about when and who may change you!” I was sure no one was in the room looking forward to this conversation! “Now, first of all, please do remember once you lose your potty privileges, we feel it’s best that adults now take care of your needs. That’s why you are not allowed to change your own diapers. We’ve found that if you all do that, too often you end up with rashes because…” Dean Northrup droned on and on, and on, and on… and on! For the better part of the hour, she sold every one that diapers were good, and she was so happy everyone was willing to trust their needs to the adults. Mom had tried to explain the gaslighting at Emerson to me, but I never could have imagined how deep it went without seeing it in person! When she finally finished and dismissed us, I only wanted to get as far from there as possible. Of course, Dean Northrup had to find me and corner me! “Well, hello, Mister Slane,” she smiled at me, “And just how are you today?” “Good, ma’am,” I told her with a forced smile. “I’m glad to hear that! I was so amazed when I heard one Little wasn’t wearing diapers yet, but when I heard who it was, I wasn’t overly surprised! Your mother was a resourceful little girl, too, wasn’t she?” “So, I’ve heard,” I said. “Well, keep on doing well with the potty! You can hold that torch for everyone else, and maybe they’ll want to grow up and be a big kid like you someday, too!” By the time I left the conversation, I had a headache! BETH SAT IN a chair and kept an eye out for Connor to come join her. They’d been directed to split up about the room within their ‘studios.’ Kelly had been in the room already when she came in, and she was intentionally sitting as far away in her group as she could from her. “My script is definitely going to be the best we could do!” she told a group mate. “I guarantee it’s good enough to be a real pilot!” “What’s yours about again?” The guy who Beth couldn’t remember his name asked. “It’s about…” she said when Beth was distracted as someone poked her. “Hey,” the voice asked, “Anyone sitting here?” She looked down to see Connor, “You?” She shook her head before adding, “Dork!” she watched as he put together his very innovative folding booster. “I’ve been meaning to ask, where did you get that? I don’t think I’ve seen one like it before?” “I brought it from home. Mom and I hoped I wouldn’t shrink, but we decided to be prepared in case I did.” “It’s really cool how it folds and assembles!” “Thanks, it’s something the inventor figured out via origami, I guess. I love how flat it packs since I’m hauling it everywhere.” Beth found herself nodding, “It does seem convenient.” She leaned in, “How was seminar?” “Horrible,” Connor told her just as quietly. “Special?” “I’ve only been to one other one. Today was about how great it was that everyone had failed potty training but one Little…” “Oh…” “Yeah, I’m really worrying about sticking out,” Connor told her. Before he could talk more, Dr. Wyler stepped up to speak. “Good afternoon, everyone! Today, we will have a class focused on how you can use advanced holo-imaging to create your scenery for your shoots. In the past, for a class like this, you would be severely limited in locations to shoot, ability to construct sets, etc. Fortunately, we’ve advanced holo-imaging in the past decade, so you can construct sets holographically using our design suite!” Beth had been well aware of what was possible with holoprojection. Still, even she was amazed at how easy it was to construct sets in one of their three soundstages within the building. Dr. Wyler had each group experiment with the software before they traveled as a class to one of the stages and took turns displaying it. Connor seemed in heaven throughout it! She thought it was adorable how excited he was by everything he could do with the technology. Their class was an extended time on Tuesdays. After a generous ten-minute break in the middle, when she and Connor hit the restrooms, they returned to the primary classroom. ‘At least this class is fun with Connor in it,’ she thought to herself, ‘almost enough to forget Kelly is in here!’ “OKAY, SO TODAY was about showing you the tools you’ll have available for set design. Nothing will be out of range of the scripts I’ve seen from the screenwriting class. In the past, we’ve had some groups who have wanted to do the same script, and I’ve had to come up with some unique ways to decide how you can get ‘first dibs,’ so to speak.” I sat up, wondering what he was going to do. “So, this year, I’ve decided to devise a series of challenges that your groups will compete in for the rest of the class today. There will be four challenges, with first place on any challenge earning one million ‘dollars’ towards your budget, second place earning seven-hundred-fifty-thousand ‘dollars,’ and third place earning two-hundred-fifty-thousand. We will then have an auction on Thursday in class with the directors bidding on the script your group wants.” ‘That’s actually kind of cool,’ I couldn’t help but think! Looking at our group, I felt like the girl who was our producer was a good asset. I still hadn’t looked her up, but I’d been assured she’d been a successful tween and teen TV and movie starlet. The director also seemed to have his act together, but we had a few others, like Kelly, that could be roadblocks. “So, first challenge!” Dr. Wyler activated a projected scene in the middle of the class. “You’ve got one minute to memorize this scene, starting now!” I stared at it intently, taking in every detail I could before it cut off. “Using the cameras you have for your group, recreate that scene! The closest to it wins!” “You have fifteen minutes, starting now!” Sebastian did an excellent job of instantly asking, “Okay, what do you remember about it? Will, can you write it down?” We spent five minutes making notes, with Will asking everyone about details about the focus fields. After two quick takes of us filling in the actors’ spots and trying to get the camera fields correct, we heard, “Time!” “I hope we got it well enough!” Mason, our lighting director, said. He’d done his best to use the portable lighting equipment to put the shadows in the right spots. The second challenge involved recreating a sound effect. Charlotte was fantastic for this because she’d hung around enough sets that she actually knew how the specific effect had been made originally. Dr. Wyler had left us supplies, so she’d gone straight to a chicken bone and said, “We just need to break this and record it!” We had seven extra minutes in the round, which cost us in the next challenge. Kelly began opening her mouth about how great she was at things, and about half the group was already sick of hearing her talk. Since the third task involved acting and randomly chosen group members to do so before recording it, it set us back when Kelly was selected as an actress. She wasn’t the worst, but she wouldn’t take direction whatsoever! We had fifteen minutes to record thirty seconds of dialogue, and we didn’t finish the full amount in the end! “Listen, I don’t know who the hell you think you are, little girl,” Sebastian was pissed, “But you will listen to direction, or we will make sure that Dr. Wyler knows you don’t deserve credit for any of our projects, and you WILL fail!” “You can’t…” Kelly tried to gripe. “Yes, we can!” Charlotte said coolly. To her credit, Kelly finally shut up! The final task was one that the rest of the group allowed me to get my hands dirty. It was a task to create a specific set of scenery. The others had seen my curiosity and understanding before in the demonstration, and I was quickly filling in every bit of extra detail to the scene I could. It was a garden scene with a huge multi-tier water fountain that bubbled water downwards into a pond with some koi fish that swam through the water. Grass surrounded the sidewalks; there were flowers, roses, and quite a few details, like wind blowing through the scene and pollen being visible. When time was called, we went down to the soundstage and took turns viewing and taking pictures and videos of the scenery. We were back in the classroom for the last ten minutes of class. “Okay, a few other professors are helping me judge these tonight. I will tell you the results on Thursday in class, and we’ll hold the auction. I highly recommend taking some time and reading the summaries of the scripts. There is one that is completely finished on the page you can read. Honestly, I have a feeling it’ll be the script that takes the most money to win the rights!” “I recommend getting a group chat or something going so you can all talk in the evenings. That’ll be it for class today; we’ll see you Tuesday!” Our group quickly got together on an app that Sebastian thought would work well, and we could now chat more easily. As Beth and I were leaving, Charlotte approached me, “That was really impressive that you programmed that scenery that quickly!” “Thanks!” I told her. “Thank you for you and Sebastian taking charge; it helped us do well in there.” “If only the little prima donna had listened better,” she said with a shake of her head. “That completed script, it’s yours, right?” I nodded, “I think it should be a lot of fun to do?” “I agree! It’s my first choice. Hopefully, we won enough today to win the script during the auction! “Yeah,” I said. I looked at the time, “Listen, I’ll see you Thursday. I have to run if I’m going to get anything to eat before these early lights out they’ve given us…” “I heard about that; sorry you’re stuck there. See you Thursday!” “Come on,” Beth said, “You really don’t have much time…” “I know,” I sighed. I hurriedly grabbed a burger and inhaled it before heading to the dorm with thirty minutes to spare before lights out. As I visited the bathroom, no one talked to me, and Mackenzie added gold stars to my chart. I frantically tried to get some studying in for my first class on Wednesday. I was grateful she put me off till the last for the night diaper after another quick potty trip. “Swim again tomorrow?” she asked me. I thought about how it was pissing everyone else off, but I didn’t know that could be helped, “Please?” “Sure! I’m down seven pounds in the past couple of weeks; I think a lot is due to swimming with you!” I smiled at her, “Glad to hear it’s helping you too.” She pulled the front of the pod down after I climbed in. “Do you need anything?” she asked. I shook my head, “No?” “Well, since we’re sending you all to bed early, I’m going to give you a cup of water in case you get thirsty,” she said while handing me a sippy cup complete with cartoons. “Umm… thanks.” “Good night, sweetie,” she said. “Good night,” I told her. For some reason, I didn’t fall asleep right away that night, but I still wouldn’t drink that water, no matter how thirsty I was! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thank you for reading!!! Please press the like button and leave a comment!!! I love seeing readers guess where things are going! I appreciate your patience for about the next month and a half with postings; my work schedule is long until then. I will probably post late Saturday night next week. Remember In-Between is now available on Amazon! If you haven't already, you may find it for sale here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG4W62M6 . If you did purchase it, please press the '5-Star' rating when you can! You don't have to leave a review to do so. (Though that would be so amazingly appreciated!) All of my books except this one are now available on Amazon Kindle!

As soon as I figure out how to make the display on DailyDiapers shrink when I post the last chapter, y'all are in for it. All good things must come to an end, but that makes them all the sweeter, doesn't it? I think Nicole hopes that everything goes back to normal, but she doesn't get to decide. For all the problems in her life, she's got one good thing going for her. ❤️ That's a story all in its own - "Wanted, babysitter for adult who's been magically reduced to the capacity of a baby. Must be able to operate around cursed relics." Thank you for reading! Just a little bit left It's true she's in the room - but it's not her name on the chart, now, is it? The Final Day Vanessa woke up early, morning birds and dawn light filtering into the nursery. Nicole’s diaper had filled up in the night, which offered no surprises; just another task for her to take care of. Her body was a bit sore, but that offered no surprises either–she’d slept in a different bed, and after rolling over in bed, her chest had been pressed up against the crib bars. A slight tenderness in her breasts was to be expected. Deciding to let Nicole sleep a little longer, she gingerly stood in the crib, working the latch and pushing the bars open. Stepping over her sleeping friend, she hopped to the ground, wobbling a bit, surprised to find herself off balance. “Woah,” she said, pulling her arms in after she caught herself. That was…odd. Waving it off, she walked out of the nursery and to the bathroom, getting herself ready for the day, enjoying the early dawn time when Nicole was still asleep, where she had a little time to herself. Reaching for her toothbrush, she glanced down at herself. She was just in a T-shirt and panties, the same clothes she’d gone to bed in, but something about it felt a bit…off. Her breasts looked larger than they had the night before, standing out in the baggy shirt more than normal. She could feel the fabric roughly against her nipples, more sensitive than they normally felt. Looking at herself in the mirror, she laughed it off. “Oh no,” she said sarcastically, reassuring herself. “Nicole got turned into a baby, you just got a nice rack. Truly, I’ve been cursed–get over yourself, Vanessa, the magic didn’t do anything to you.” She could have looked at the chart on the way back to confirm, but she didn’t want to admit to herself that it was possible she’d been affected somehow. It was bad enough watching the regression happen to her friend, let alone to think about what transformation might afflict her next. Vanessa kept her eyes well clear of the chart, refusing to check what it said. Walking back over to Nicole, she shook her friend awake. “Hey, Nic–time to get up, you need a change.” Nicky rolled over sleepily, blinking up at Vanessa. Her eyes had taken on a slightly glassy look, like she was perpetually surprised and shocked by what she saw. Taking in new information. At least she was able to crawl after Vanessa and help herself up onto the changing table, and she knew to lie still while her mucky diaper was cleaned up, tossed out, and replaced with a fresh one. While she lay there, she just stared up at Vanessa, suckling her thumb, gaze looking a little down, not at V’s face, but lower. At her chest. “Do I look different today?” Vanessa asked. “Or… do I seem different?” Nicole shrugged, spitting out her finger for a moment. “Okay, well…I’m going to go make breakfast,” Vanessa said. “How does oatmeal sound?” Genuinely thinking for a moment, Nicole shook her head and made a face like she’d just been offered steamed brussel sprouts. “Eh…okay. Pancakes?” Again, a very firm ‘No’. “Cereal?” Sticking out her tongue, Nicole said, “Blegh, gwoss.” Vanessa hesitated. “Nicky, you need to eat something. What sounds good?” Nicole shook her head and said, “I’unno,” but her thumb drifted back into her mouth, and her eyes locked with Vanessa’s tender, swollen breasts once again. Finally, Vanessa got it. “Oh, no…” Turning, she walked to the door, throwing it in so she could check the chart. On it, she saw the doodle, and her heart sank. It pictured her, clearly, sitting with Nicole in her lap. Vanessa had been drawn with her breasts exposed, and Nicole was…nursing. Sucking on V’s tit with an expression of bliss. “Nicole,” she said, uncertain and worried, suddenly acutely aware of the weight in her breasts–they weren’t just bigger, they felt swollen. Full. “Er…I think I know what you’re going to want for breakfast.” Nicole sat up on her elbows. “Wassat?” Flushing, Vanessa said, “How does just…milk sound?” Eyes widening, Nicole nodded. “Mhmm!” That confirmed it. Nicole had been fully regressed–barely able to speak, unable to walk, fully dependent on her diapers, and now back to the point of needing to be nursed. There wasn’t much to be done about it. Helping Nicky off the changing table, Vanessa led her to the living room and sat down on the couch, where they’d be able to sit comfortably next to her. There was no way to do this that didn’t feel intensely awkward, so she just got it over with–lifting off her shirt, Vanessa sat back, allowing Nicole access to her breasts. Her friend pulled up onto her lap, lips sealing hungrily over Vanessa’s nipple. She began to suck, and V felt the milk trickle out of her, into Nicole’s waiting mouth. Tenderness subsiding, she laid a hand on Nicole’s head, sitting back. It felt good to have that pressure released, the tenderness subsiding. Based on her expression, Nicole, too, was enjoying herself–utterly satisfied with her meal. They sat together, in an intensely intimate embrace. Nicole seemed unaware of the sheer awkwardness of it all, and while Vanessa initially felt awkward enough for the both of them, eventually her initial shock wore away. After a while, Nicole moved to the other breast, working on it too, hungry and focused on satisfying herself. They were close, and they were together. Vanessa had never expected this, never even expected that between the two of them, she’d be the one managing their responsibilities, but… she could live with this. The chart had pushed them to the limits, but not beyond them–Vanessa could still care for Nicole like this, and as long as she had the capacity to be there for her friend, she would. “Today’s the last day on the chart.” She spoke much to herself as to Nicole. “I don’t know what happens when it fills up. Maybe it clears out, and all this goes away. Maybe it just refreshes and we get two more weeks of…new things. I don’t even know what those would be. I just don’t know what’s going to happen.” Looking up at her, Nicole pulled away from her meal for a moment, milk dribbling down her lip. She made eye contact with Vanessa and smiled, reaching down so she could take her friend’s hand. “Fwiendth,” she lisped. “Nuh madda what.” They didn’t know what the chart would do next, what the future held, but Nicole was right. Whether they were peers, bantering and teasing and talking about boys, or whether they were caregiver and infant, one watching out for the other, caring for the other, they would be in each other’s lives. “Friends.” Vanessa pulled her friend close again, in a tight, loving hug. “No matter what.” The End. ... Thank you all for reading. Here soon, I'll be putting together an ebook file, in case you want a copy of this on your e-reader of choice - Once that's ready, I'll post the link here for you to download, no purchase necessary, just a nice, contained way for you to take this story with you. I'm really proud of this story, and floored by the response. I can't express how happy I am at the outpouring of comments, replies, theories, and conversation it's spurred on. If you would like to support my writing, and you've read all the way to the end, you probably know about my Patreon - Just a couple dollars a month is a massive help to me, allowing me to dedicate dozens of hours every month to writing AB/DL fiction that I'm very proud of. My supporters get early access to all my writing, exclusive content just for them, and I also attach downloadable .doc files to all my story posts for those of you who prefer to download and read offline. https://www.patreon.com/PeculiarChangeling https://subscribestar.adult/peculiarchangeling ❤️ -Peculiar Changeling

I just want to thank everyone for their likes and comments of support. It always means a lot when starting a new story on here and it is my wish that I can continue to provide an interesting story for you all. I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 2: A Glass Façade Twenty years ago, the same scenario might have played out very differently. When Patrick awoke, his kidneys, or other vital organs, would have likely been harvested and waking up at all would have been considered a minor miracle. Now, however, Patrick awoke to the sun shining brightly on his face, a bouquet of flowers perched on a table beside him, and a lovely aroma of lavender and fresh linen encapsulating every square inch of his morning breaths. Still, after looking over what appeared to be a mix of a hotel and hospital room, he quickly knew it wasn’t where he lived and most definitely wasn’t where he had passed out. Like the morning before, he bolted awake, but only the pain of all where he could feel greeted him now. The light shone in from all around him and he grimaced as he moved his hands to massage his head. “Ah!” A quick pain emanated from where he had touched. Worried of what it could be, Patrick slowly palmed the spot on his head where the lightning pain had erupted from. It was definitely still there, and he quickly remembered hitting his head from last night. “Ugh… not good…” Patrick didn’t have long to think any further as he stared to hear a pair of shoes clacking from outside the door, which was then quickly followed by a male orderly entering in a state of panic. Upon seeing a conscious Patrick though, his demeanor quickly relaxed. “Oh, thank goodness. You’re just awake and not injured more. That’s so great!” His loud words seemed to slingshot around in his head and Patrick rubbed the tender spot once more. “Ugh, where… where am I…?” “Ah,” the male orderly said as if everything suddenly made sense now, despite Patrick’s evident and still lingering confusion. “Let me go get your main nurse. She’ll be so pleased to know you’re awake!” The man practically skipped off after setting a stack of white linens on a nearby countertop. Patrick was left in a state of confusion, but still not knowing where he was, he didn’t want to wait for whomever to show back up, so he immediately began to get up and haul himself into his usual position to get out of bed. A wheelchair was parked nearby and with a little finagling, he was able to move it into the right position. As Patrick strained and grunted to position the chair just right though, the door reopened, and a tall blonde woman casually walked in. Each step caused her curly blonde hair to bounce and her nearly pristine white and pink scrub uniform to shift about gracefully. “Good morning!” she said cheerfully. “Brad told me you were up and I’m just so pleased to see that!” Her near record-breaking smile faded a bit though as she then saw what Patrick was trying to do. “Oops! Looks like I’ve got a restless patient on my hands!” The tall woman then nearly skipped over to where Patrick had sprawled himself out over the bed and easily shifted him back to sitting by his pillows. “I was just trying to get into my wheelchair,’ Patrick said glumly over the loss of achieving his morning goal and making his escape from wherever he was. The nurse smiled tenderly down at Patrick. Despite not knowing her, her demeanor almost seemed to calm him down. Shen then bent slightly down and rested her hand on his shoulder. “I understand, sweetie, but we’ve got some strict rules while you’re here today. Don’t want you to hurt yourself further now, do we?” Patrick wasn’t a fan of how she was talking to him. Her sickly-sweet voice would no doubt be grating after more than 10 minutes at this rate, but he also felt an odd sense of calm envelop him at the same time. It had been quite some time since anyone had shown him the care that she was obviously trying to show him now. Even if her voice was a bit annoying, he craved more of this cared-for feeling, so he just shook his head. “No…” “Wonderful… now,” she sat on the edge of the bed and twisted her body slightly to fully face Patrick, “we need to do a little talking first, okay?” Patrick hesitated at the implication of whatever forlorn information she had to impart but simply just nodded in compliance. ‘Maybe this is the point where she informs me that because they got me off the street, I have to pay or else they’ll take my kidneys?’ “Perfect. Now, we just happened to have a patrol roaming the area you were found in last night. Goodness knows what could have happened if we hadn’t found you,” she said with a great deal of concern. Again, it was a nice feeling to at least feel that one person still cared about him. “From the reports that we get, it’s still a bit unsafe in that neighborhood at night. It’s actually one of the reasons we go by there on our nightly patrols.” ‘Patrols?’ Patrick rolled the word around in head and tried to decipher what that meant and what it had to do with him now. Still, he just wanted the nurse to continue and hopefully she would answer his questions in time. He didn’t want to appear weak until he knew where he was. “I would have been fine…” “Hmmm…” Her eyes glanced downward briefly causing Patrick to immediately become self-conscious. Before he had a chance to see where she was looking though, her eyes popped back up. “What’s the last thing you remember, honey?” Patrick had to think for a moment. It was all pretty blurry still in his still half-awake state. “I came out of the bar… my chair tipped over and I fell, and I…” Patrick froze in terror. Her previous glance down now made perfect sense in the most horrific way. The nurse smiled as Patrick made the connection. “I take it you remember that little part now, huh?” Still too shocked at the memory, Patrick just meekly nodded. It had happened before, but it had been relatively private. ‘Great. Now, Nurse Sparkles knows as well...’ “Awww. No need to be embarrassed sweetie. In fact, we even waved one of our usual protocols when we find someone like you with your… ahem… situation.” Patrick was confused by what she meant, but then noticed a stack of thick plastic objects on one of the higher shelves in the room. ‘Shit! I’m going to be sold to some pervert from the other dimension!’ His heart began to beat rapidly and tried to inch away from her as best as he could. “St… stay away… fr… from me! There are others! P… people looking for me!” The nurse just giggled at the sight unfolding before her. “Oh, sweetie. Relax! I’m not one of those people. Just a human and just like you! Born on this planet and in this dimension.” Patrick still held his guard. “Promise.” Patrick didn’t believe her. For all he knew, it could have been a lie to lure him into a false sense of security before they pounced on him. “Prove it!” The nurse seemed perplexed over how she could but then snapped her fingers and stood up. “Here.” She then thrust the curtains open and showed a picturesque view of the downtown of his city. It looked far different than where he lived of course, but it was just the new part spurred on by the portal travel. “See? Still in this dimension and even the same city where you live. And, as I said before, we waved our usual protocol to diaper one such as yourself… Looked up your file and paralyzed members here get a little more leeway in certain matters. Okay?” Her eyes looked directly into his. Patrick could almost get lost in their bright blue color. He could quickly feel his walls fade away. He then just nodded and settled back down on his bed. His heart still beat rapidly, and he probably still looked panicky, but it seemed to be enough for the nurse. “Good… now, I didn’t introduce myself before. I’m nurse Patricia, but you can just call me nurse, Patty, Patricia… whatever! Kinda cute that we have such similar names, huh?” “Yeah…” Patrick said hesitantly, still clearly wary of what was going on. “I bet you’ve got a bunch of questions, huh?” Patrick quickly nodded. “Well, I’ll let Mr. Docker explain things more later, but I can help answer a few bits. First though,” Patricia then moved close to where Patrick had finally settled, “I think we need to do a few morning bits, huh? Get you going and all.” Patrick realized the time and nodded. “Yeah… just lend me the wheelchair and I can do the rest.” Patricia however didn’t seem thrilled. “Well… I can give you some independence and whatnot, but I’m going to help you in a few areas of my choice. No negotiating on that one, okay?” Patrick wanted full independence, but maybe it was her large frame and intense look, but he didn’t feel he was in a place to say no to her. “Fine…” he then relented. Patricia only smiled and then helped him into the wheelchair. He quickly noticed it wasn’t his own and had handlebars on the back where someone else could push you around. Sighing, he just let himself be wheeled over to the bathroom. Gratefully, Patricia only got him into position and got everything out for him to use for his usual morning routine. ‘Nice but… weird. How does she know the exact equipment that I use back home?’ Shaking his head and adding his question to the steadily growing pile, Patrick soon finished up and exited the bathroom after disposing of the products and washing his hands. Patricia quickly popped back into the bathroom. “Perfect! Let me just log that into my watch, and… we’re good!” She then marched over and took over the steering of Patrick out of the room. Too wrapped up in everything going on, he only then realized that he was wearing a pair of greenish-blue hospital scrubs with a logo over the left chest area. Upon looking further, he recognized the name from the logo on the van last night. “Oasis Opportunities… is that this place?” Patrick asked after reading the logo on his scrubs and along one of the walls as they passed it. “You got it!” Patricia confirmed gleefully. “Newly built and all with the advent of the renovation to the nearby portal facility. We run all usual technical bits outside the city, as I’m sure you know, but we do most of the outreach and admin programs from this building here.” Patrick nodded, and still trying to get the lay of the land, he wanted to know more about her. “Are you associated with them then?” “Them…?” Patricia seemed to be confused over the word choice, but it didn’t last long. “Oh! The Bigs you mean!” “Yes…” he said hesitantly. “Well, me personally… only in a roundabout way, but OO here, yes!” she said enthusiastically. Patrick took the thought in. Only moments ago, she had calmed him down about not kidnapping him for the portal, but now, he was in a building literally dedicated to the same thing. “I thought you said this wasn’t with the other dimension and all?” “Nope! All I said was that you weren’t in the other dimension. We’re still on Earth and all, but this place is just headed by the other side is all. Innocent programs and all!” Patrick wasn’t sure how much he actually believed her, but he didn’t want to upset the woman now wheeling him around. “The programs… that’s why I’m here?” Patrick finally asked reluctantly, very well already likely knowing the answer. “Well… as I said, Mr. Docker will explain things more to you in a minute,” Patricia practically skipped over. Patrick just sighed and resigned himself to the fact that he was only going to get part of the story for now. Patricia didn’t seem like a danger, so for now, he just sat back in the wheelchair as Patricia wheeled him along a corridor with several other rooms that looked just like the one he had just exited. The pair then soon arrived at a large elevator at the end of the hall and by what could only be a nurse’s station. After a ding, the two entered and Patricia pressed the button labeled, ‘Floor 24.’ The elevator was large and elaborate. It even smelled fresh and new. “Pretty big and fancy building… how much is all this going to cost me? I’ve got money, but… I just need to know how much ramen I’ll have to pack away in the next week or so…” Patrick half joked. Patricia let out a tiny giggle. “Actually, the government funds this whole place. A few of the adventures pay for the overhead and all, but day-to-day stuff is predominantly covered by one of the government programs instituted a few years ago. Upper Deal? New Plan? Something like that.” “Oh…” Patrick said with a bit of relief. He did have the money, but this all still felt like a lot. At the same time though, Patricia had mentioned a few of the programs here had helped with the funding. With 67 floors in total, only a few seemed unoccupied by some portal dimension sounding program. “Here let me show you around. We still have a bit before we need to see Mr. Docker.” The elevator stopped and the two got off at the bottom floor of a large atrium. After Patricia moved him out a little way, Patrick could quickly see that at least eight floors had their offices perched behind him and overlooked the atrium and the immense glass curtain wall in front of them. It was a grand, magnificent, and beautiful, if not unnerving, sight. “Wow… all this is for OO? Portal travel and all? Just for this single portal?” “Yep,” Patricia practically chirped. “We’ve got lots of offices for a whole host of programs. We tend to cover the gamut on portal travel here, so we even have three floors dedicated to the R&D department.” She then lowered her voice. “If you ever come back here and are wandering around, stay off floors 34 through 36. High level clearance required, and one poor delivery guy got sucked into a dimension with talking and hallucinogenic plants. You do not want to end up like that.” Patrick nodded gravely. If he needed any reminder and jolt back to reality for what type of company he was standing in the middle of, Patricia’s warning and tiny anecdote had performed its task admirably. After a minute or so of silence, Patricia piped back up. “So, you want some, errr…” she looked at the large touchpad watch on her wrist, “yeah, lunch?” “Oh, uh, sure?” Patrick said hesitantly, still in awe over the enormity of the building for just one portal. If the news article from last week was any indication, there were at least 36 in the states alone. Patricia quickly picked up on his apprehension from eating food from a portal company. “Relax. All still covered by the government and not a single thing here is spiked or could cause you any issues.” Patrick stared at her with an unconvinced look. “Promise. Pinky swear on it if that would help…” Patrick looked at her outstretched pinky and shook his head. “Uh, no. That’s fine. I’m good. Just…” Patrick let the implied notion hang in the air for a second. “Oh, no need to explain. After all, you are talking to a normal human working for a company that deals exclusively with Bigs and all as upper management.” She then lowered her voice once more. “Hard not to hear about the… others that work, or I should say worked on the other side of the portal…” Patrick nodded but wanted to move on as quickly as possible. “So, lunch?” She popped right back up. “Right!” Patricia then wheeled Patrick over to a nearby food court situated in the corner of the atrium. There was a tiny line, but it also allowed Patrick to look at what he wanted. After Patricia got a cobb salad and Patrick got a Cuban sandwich, the pair sat down and would occasionally talk through their delicious bites. Patrick, however, was more distracted by what he was seeing. Having previously worked at a corporate office job to make some good money one summer before his accident, he knew of the typical personnel who visited these places. This atrium drew a large crowd for its obvious beauty and confirmed tasty food, but Patrick couldn’t help but notice a few oddities. While visitors to such places could always draw in a few strangers that didn’t exactly fit in with the rest, the personnel who worked here all seemed very cut and dry. All seemed like part of the medical staff, like Patricia, or were buttoned up into a variety of business attires. What was odd though, was the array of people like him. Not confined to a wheelchair necessarily, but all still seeming to suffer in their own tiny ways. A persistent cough, recent surgery lines, even a few that were still hooked up to IV bags. It was an anomaly that bugged Patrick, but Patricia’s timing was impeccable and quickly distracted him with another question, this time about what he wanted for his future. Soon though, lunch was over and after looking at her watch once more, Patricia stood up. “Well, looks like it’s just about time to head on up. Wish I could give you a longer tour of more of the floors here, but maybe some other time. Mr. Docker is a busy man, and we shouldn’t keep him waiting.” Patrick nodded and stretched out his hand. “After you…” Patricia giggled and after a moment, Patrick realized that his chivalry was lost in a practical sense on the nurse before him. While he could have pushed the wheelchair himself, Patricia was a hands-on type of nurse, so she was most definitely behind him as they moved on from the expansive and beautiful atrium. The pair soon arrived back at the large elevator they had previously boarded. After a ding, the two entered the leftmost one and Patricia pressed the button labeled, ‘Floor 42,’ once inside the shiny metallic box. A short zoom upward, another ding, and the doors then opened back up. Patricia pushed him forward and finally halted at a waiting area at the end of the hall on the floor. A large glass window opened onto the city to the south and Patrick could easily see the breathtaking views and just how high they were. If it was possible, it was even more impressive than the atrium they had just come from. Before Patricia even had a chance to sit, a young and attractive woman stood up from behind her desk and motioned to her. “You can go right on in, Patty.” “Thanks, Sammy,” Patricia gleefully replied as she rapidly pushed Patrick into the awaiting doors which conveniently opened automatically. Patricia then gently guided Patrick into the large and impressive office. Two of the walls faced the outside and were nearly floor to ceiling windows. One could see all the way into three neighboring states and the faint glow, even in the daytime, from the portal facility could be seen to the south. At the far end of the room, a tall and fit man with styled salt and pepper hair and a slick goatee stood and looked out one of the windows. As soon as the wheelchair entered the room, it hit a small bump in the place where the flooring from the outside and inside met. The man suddenly turned around and smiled. “Ah, good evening, Patrick. Come on in and don’t be shy!” The doors behind Patrick closed with a shudder and Patrick couldn’t help but gulp at the man now standing in front of him. His subtle pinstripe suit and red shirt underneath were well fit to his impressive stature and his eyes gleamed at Patrick. If he didn’t know any better, his looks almost bordered on what Patrick thought a wolf would look like as it looked upon a fluffy and tiny lamb. Whatever the case, Oasis Opportunities may have looked nice on the outside, but something told him that whatever was about to be offered might prove to be just too much for him to accept. Hopefully, whatever it was, could still be rejected if needed be and that Patricia hadn’t just lied to him about everything. Whatever the case, the doors slammed to a frightening close behind him, sealing him inside for whatever was to come.

🍍 Part 1: “Family Haagen is looking for a full-time babysitter …” Elna Hetland was reading the e-mail from the babysitting agency. Elna was a cheerful young girl at her 19 and she had finished high school two months ago; unfortunately, her applications to the university were rejected. Now she needed a job, and the offer was more than generous. The family had only one 2 years old toddler girl and the wage was double of the usual rate. The job looked better than that of a secretary or a clerk. Elna had babysat in the past and she liked it a lot. “Elna, be careful, please. A double rate sounds suspicious,” Elna’s mother warned her daughter. “Yeah, mommy. I’ll be careful,” Elna nodded. She also realized the generosity; however, she wasn’t aware of any risk. Babysitting a toddler shouldn’t be dangerous though. She decided to find out more about the family as soon as possible. After dinner, Elna sat down to her computer and started searching. According to her findings, the Haagen family was quite wealthy, and they lived in a big villa. There was no personal information there, but Elna could have expected it. She dialed the number stated in the e-mail and a soft female voice answered the call: “Haagen villa,” it was probably a maid. “Elna Hetland speaking. I’ve got an e-mail from the babysitting agency, and I’m interested in the job.” “Wait a moment, miss. I’ll call Mrs. Haagen,” there was a short break until another female voice asked her. “Good evening. Miss Hetland, are you seriously interested in the job?” “Yeah, I am, Mrs. Haagen.” “Well, come tomorrow and we can talk about your job. However, our Amanda is a special child. She has had four babysitters until now and all of them have left. I’ll tell you more in person when you come.” “No problem, Mrs. Haagen. I’m sure I’ll take care of Amanda even if she is … special.” Elna was a bit confused, but she also was curious. After the call she couldn’t get rid of a strange feeling. Nevertheless, the curiosity took over. --------------------------- The next day she arrived at the Damhau street and stopped in front of the big villa. As she pressed the bell knob, a soft female voice sounded in the intercom: “Wait, please,” a minute later the door opened and an older lady in the maid uniform was standing in the hall. “Are you Ms. Hetland?” “Yeah, I am.” “Come in, Mrs. Haagen is expecting you,” she gestured at Elna and ushered her towards a luxurious living room. A middle-aged woman was sitting at the table. “Good morning,” Elna greeted, and the woman stood up and walked towards her. “Welcome to our house, Ms. Hetland. Take place please and we can talk about our job.” “Thanks, madam,” Elna sat down, and Mrs. Haagen took the place opposite her. The maid left and seconds later a small toddler girl ran into the room. “Are you my new babysitter? My name is Amanda,” she stopped in front of Elna and looked at her closely. “Yeah, Amanda. I am your new babysitter, and my name is Elna,” Elna smiled at Amanda and stroked her blonde hair; she noticed Amanda’s eyes and immediately realized that something was wrong. It was a feeling only, but Elna wanted to find out more. Amanda stretched her little arms towards Elna and Elna helped the little girl crawl onto her lap. Amanda hugged Elna and leaned her head on Elna’s shoulder. Elna hugged her back and felt the thick diaper package between her legs. Mrs. Haagen watched the scene for awhile, smiled and walked over to Amanda. “Sweetheart, go to your room and play a little while mommy talks to your new babysitter,” Mrs. Haagen asked her daughter. The little girl nodded, crawled down from Elna’s lap and left the room. Elna was surprised by the toddler’s prompt reaction. “Ms. Hetland …” “Call me Elna, please.” “Elna, I owe you an explanation. Amanda has been diagnosed by Approgressia infantilis. Her growth has stopped, and she stays a toddler forever.” “Oh, I’ve never heard about that disease,” Elna was taken aback. “It is extremely rare, but our little girl suffers from it. Fortunately, it doesn’t hurt, but she can’t grow, and she will need diapers for life. Otherwise, she is a nice and smart girl. You will see.” “Okay, Mrs. Haagen. I don’t think it will be an issue for me. I’m sure I’ll be a good babysitter. However, I don’t understand why four babysitters have left already.” “Well, let’s talk about your job,” Mrs. Haagen apparently didn’t want to speak about the former babysitters, “It is a literally full-time job. You will live in this house and take care of Amanda. Of course, you get your room, food and your wage as stated in the offer. If you still want this job, come tomorrow, and bring your personal possessions with you. We will sign the contract then. Helga can show you your and Amanda’s room before you leave. Helga!” “Thank you, Mrs. Haagen,” Elna stood up and the older lady entered the room. “This way, Ms. Hetland,” Helga ushered Elna upstairs. Amanda’s room was a luxurious well-equipped nursery. Amanda was sitting on the floor and playing with dolls; however, Elna again got a strange feeling while watching the little girl. Helga showed Elna her future room and Elna stopped dead in her tracks. The room was really luxurious and much larger than her own room at home. It was also equipped with a computer and a large TV set. While travelling home, Elna kept thinking of the offer. Something was definitely wrong, but she didn’t have any idea what it was. Mrs. Haagen wouldn’t tell her anything and Amanda was too little. On the other hand, Amanda’s behavior didn’t match a two-year-old toddler. Elna suddenly got curious; was there any mystery there? “Elna, I’m not sure if you should take the job,” Elna’s mother shook her head, “why have four babysitters left if the life there looks comfortable and luxurious, and the child seems to be nice and well educated. Also, the disease is strange. Maybe we should find out about it.” Elna nodded and switched on her computer. She really found the mysterious “Approgressia infantilis” and the description matched the former explanation from Mrs. Haagen. However, the search provided her with one single result. As for the four babysitters, Elna and her mother couldn’t even start searching if they didn’t know their names. “Elna, the job looks good, but I warn you; be extremely careful and don’t trust anybody there,” Elna’s mother was also confused; however, Elna needed a job and the babysitting looked like a good one. Elna packed her personal possessions into a big bag. Besides her clothing, shoes and cosmetics, she also packed her notebook. Although she noticed a computer in her room, she decided to take her own notebook, just to be sure. As she was packed, she went to bed; however, she couldn’t sleep well. Her mind was still occupied by the little girl and her mystery.

Chapter 23: Testing the Waters Parum Mortis – LittleFallenPrincess “Auntie Bea…” Lucy asked in that cute way kids do when they want something. “Yes sweetie?” Bea replied, turning away from the screen. It had been about an hour now, and we mostly just sat in silence the whole time, watching cartoons. We didn’t say a word to each other, probably because Lucy was attacked earlier, and I… well I don’t remember what I did, but according to Beth, I was a badass! So I think we wanted to take a little breather for a bit, to relax and process things on our own whilst we snuggled on either side of Beatrice, watching cartoons. “Do you have any idea what Auntie Beth is up to?” “I have no idea. Especially seeing as she mentioned our Grandmother.” “Didn’t you have a meeting the other week regarding stuff?” “Yeah, it was the reading of her will.” “So has Beth been left something?” “Oh shit… yeah… well that makes sense.” Bea replied, as if she had put two and two together and realised something. “What does?” Lucy asked. “I’ll let Susie’s Mummy explain when she gets back. I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Though what she has in store for it… I don’t know.” Beatrice said, before looking at me awkwardly. “Sorry hun. I… it’s natural for me, when I’m around littles. I know you’re not up to that stage with her and…” “It’s okay.” I assured her. “I… I was thinking of calling her it soon anyway…” “REALLY?” Lucy asked, jumping up and kneeling on the sofa, all whilst staring at me. “WHEN?” “I dunno… I…” “Only do it when you’re ready. I mean hell… you’ve never even tried being a baby… consensually of course. You need to try that first!” “Yeah maybe you’re right. Maybe I should actually try it out. I just… wanted to make her happy.” “Oh dear… is the spell still in effect?” Bea asked, looking concerned. “No, it’s all me now. I… the past few days, the attack at the cafe… it all confirmed that I love her. And I want to make her happy. I won’t go out of my comfort zone to do so, but… I dunno… this whole baby thing doesn’t seem that bad. The nappies are…” It was still embarrassing talking about nappies, as they are usually only worn by babies and old people. And I’m neither. “...they’re not as bad as I thought they’d be. Kinda comfortable.” “Right?” Lucy chimed in, smiling. “Maybe I’ll give this baby thing a go then.” “You’re reacting very well to all this, sweetie. Are you sure you’re okay?” Asked Bea. “Yeah. I think my mind is clearer than it ever was. Knowing about your world, and this kink world… it feels… good. Even if I don’t end up into the kink stuff, it’s nice knowing that part of Beth, especially as it’s something she’s kept secret, at least to partners… or maybe just me.” “Well I’m proud of you.” “Plus the first time I found out, it was a bit of a shock, so I will admit… I reacted badly. Then the second time, when Death woke me up from that spell… I also may have reacted badly then too.” “Understandably so though.” “Yeah but even so… I’ve had time to think. I want to at least try this out with her. If it’s not for me… then I hope she’s okay with me not taking part. If it is… then I guess you’ll have a… baby niece, I guess?” “Haha, I suppose I would!” Bea laughed. “I must ask though… this ‘Auntie’ thing…?” “Yes, sweetie?” “Lucy called Beth… Auntie Beth. So is…” “Oh it’s just a friendlier term than say… Miss or Sir. Lucy is one of our closest friends, so she calls us her Aunties. I suppose it’s different from you dating my sister and being her baby, that would make me your Auntie too but… Oh I don’t know. Look, if and when you’re ready, you can call me Auntie Beatrice or Auntie Bea for short, okay kiddo?” I blushed and looked down. “Okay, thanks. So… what do you call other… adults, I guess?” I asked Lucy. “As Auntie Bea said, sometimes just Sir or Miss or Ma’am. Or most likely… their names. Auntie is reserved for my bestest friends.” “That makes sense.” I said, smiling up at her. “So how does… this whole thing work? Like… I heard there was a community or something…” “We have a munch at a local pub every month. We just talk normally, chat like adults, maybe discuss some kinky stuff, and then we arrange playdates between us.” “So has…” “Don’t worry, Auntie Beth hasn’t been sneaking out to baby someone whilst you’ve been dating her. She attends the munches, but she hasn’t been active in the community for a while, and because of that, neither has Auntie Beatrice.” “Yeah it’s not exactly my thing. I love doing it when I do, but I’m not interested in the same way my sister is.” Bea spoke up. “How did you know…?” “That she was into it? Too many drinks when we were younger. She knows all my stuff too.” “What are…” “What things am I into? You’ll have to find out at a later date, sweetie.” Bea grinned down at me. I pouted at her and crossed my arms. “Perfect baby, see…” Lucy teased, making me pout even more. “But yeah, Beth arranges the munches and stuff, she’s very much the Mother Hen of the community. She makes sure everyones safe and protected. But she doesn’t actively baby anyone, other than talking down to us like we’re babies. Not since she started dating you. She’s been saving that part of herself for you, if you ever got into it of course.” ‘She has?’ I thought to myself. “But again, no pressure! We don’t want you forcing yourself to do things you don’t want to. Only if and when you’re ready. Remember that.” Bea added. “Thanks Beatrice. I appreciate it. Especially after the past few weeks…” “I understand, sweetie. And again, I’m sorry. I promise you… she never meant to do that.” “I know. That's why I’m open to trying this with her.” “Trying what with who?” I heard from behind me. Spinning around to see who the heck had snuck into our house and disturbed us… I saw… Beth? “How…?” “BETHANY!” Beatrice yelled at her. “That’s not my name, sis…” “BETHANIEL!” Bea looked serious, but you could see the corner of her mouth rising into a smile. She was having fun with this. “I’m going to kill you. And then bring you back to life. Just so I can kill you again. I know how to do it now. Be warned.” Beth said with a deadpan face. “You portalled here, didn’t you?” “I needed a book! And traffic… Well the traffic is really bad today.” “But you know the reagents are hard to get!” “Wait… Witches can make portals? As in go from one place to another?” I asked. “We can… but the reagents are rare… which makes them very expensive…” Bea answered, staring daggers at her sister. “I know, so bill me. I’m here to get a book, then I’m portalling back.” Beth was just about to walk off… “OH NO YOU’RE NOT!” Beatrice whisked her hand over the empty tub of ice cream in her other hand, making it completely disappear, before standing up quickly and turning to face her sister. “But…” My girlfriend was just about to plead her case, but Bea clearly wasn’t impressed by her use of portals. “NO! I’ll drive you.” Bea ordered, sounding very… dominant. “Ugh, fine. But only because I want to show Susie and Lucy something. They can come with us.” “Really?” Lucy asked. “Yeah. I’ve got in touch with a bunch of people, I just need… Beth’s ‘friend’. Then we can get started. I want both of your inputs though.” “Fine. I’ll drive us all there then. Little ones… grab your coats.” Bea ordered. “Can… can we hold off for a little bit though, if you’re driving us?” Beth asked. “Uh… sure? Why?” “I want to make sure Susie is okay. Plus… I missed her.” I blushed as she said it, trying to look away from everyone suddenly looking at me. “Fine, thirty minutes. Cup of tea, I’ll snuggle this little tyke…” Beatrice said, sitting down once again and grabbing Lucy, pulling her close to her, into a cuddle. “...and you can go talk to your girlfriend.” “Oh… do you need to talk…?” Beth looked anxious suddenly. “I… I mean… Do you?” I replied, just as awkwardly. “Are they always this bad?” Lucy asked Beatrice. “Not usually. RIGHT YOU TWO, GO TALK IN YOUR ROOM.” Bea ordered… very loudly. Beth and I looked at each other, unsure as to follow her sister’s orders or not. Thankfully Beth took the initiative and held out her hand, so I quickly took it and followed her away into our bedroom. “So you wanted to…” We both said at the same time. “...talk?” “You first.” I said. “I… look… I… I want to make sure you’re okay.” Beth said, holding either side of me with her cold hands. “I’m okay.” “And you? What did you want to say?” “Are… are you okay?” I replied, very awkwardly. “Right pair, we are. I’m okay, thank you baby.” Being called ‘baby’ felt… right. Every time she called it me, it just felt… right. Not just because it flowed so perfectly from her luscious lips… but because it made the butterflies in my tummy flutter around. “Umm…” “What is it, baby?” “Umm… the baby thing.” “Oh, do you want me to stop? Sorry.” She let go of me and put her arms to her side, as if she retreated back into her shell. “NO! No! I… was…” “You were, what?” This conversation was the most awkward conversation ever. Even more so than trying to get Lucy out of her shell at university, more so than when Beth and I started dating. “I was wondering if…” Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for this. “...We could try… the… umm… baby thing…?” “You… want to try it? Right now?” “I mean not right now… unless that’s what you want… I mean… I was thinking more…” “I can try it whenever, sweetie.” She quickly interrupted. “I… wouldn’t even know where to start…” “How about we get you dressed into something not too babyish, but not too adulty… and then snuggle on the sofa? Maybe I could feed you a bottle like Lucy’s?” I imagined what I’d look like, sitting on her lap, drinking from a baby bottle. It was weird, sure. I mean… it’s a weird fucking kink… but it didn’t gross me out. It didn’t terrify me. So pushing myself to the edge of my comfort zone, but not completely out of it… I said… “Sure.” “Like… now?” “We’ve got thirty minutes, right? Why don’t we try it now. It may make Lucy feel a bit better and more relaxed too.” I suggested. “Okay baby… right… how about… hmm. How about a pair of dungarees? They’re in fashion at the moment, right? So that with a cute t-shirt, with your thick nappy… maybe put your hair into pigtails? We can take the pigtails out when we go out.” “That’s not too bad. Wait… so I’d wear the dungarees out?” “We’d put a jacket on you, maybe change your top to something less babyish, but yeah. Dungarees are worn by big girls too.” “I guess.” “So come on, how about we get you into the nursery, get you changed, then get you on my lap with a bottle? Baby steps…” She grinned. “No puns. Otherwise, deal.” “Okay then… no puns. Maybe.” I walked out of the nursery with a slight waddle, wearing the new outfit Beth had picked out for me. Like she promised… it wasn’t too babyish. And hell, if I do as she suggested and just put a jacket on when we go out, the babyish top I’m wearing wouldn’t be noticeable. Blue dungarees, a pink top with puffed sleeves that looked more babyish than I thought under the dungaree straps, and my hair up in pigtails. It wasn’t much, thinking about it, but it felt like it was a drastic change. I felt… younger… smaller. She did ponder the idea of giving me a baby dummy, but in the end, she didn’t want to force that on me, so she clipped one on my straps, hanging down from a cute, multi colored piece of ribbon or something. For now… I’d let it dangle there. Maybe… just maybe… I’ll consider trying it later. If I’m interested. Maybe. “We saw you try to sneak into the nursery… and I see why! Oh my gosh, she looks so precious!” Beatrice said, smiling at me. Lucy was speechless, but had very much the same expression on her face. “We’re dipping her toes in the pool. So please, take it slowly and easy with her, okay?” Beth replied. I really appreciated it, and I really appreciated her being willing to take this slowly. Although to be honest… this didn’t feel slow. But we weren’t out of my comfort zone… yet. “Good idea! I really wasn’t expecting you to try it so soon though, you eager beaver!” Bea teased me. Guiding me to the sofa, Beth sat down and gently pulled me onto her lap, the thick padding making her legs even more comfortable. “Oh, Bea?” Beth asked her sister. “Yeah?” “Could you get us a bottle?” ======================================================== I'm glad you're all enjoying this story so much! And yeah, because this is a prequel, you can work out a lot of how this will end... mostly. But that's half the fun of prequels! Figuring out the connections and links to the other stories! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Please leave likes and comments and all that fun stuff, I love reading them! Thank you to all my patrons for their support! Don't forget, the remaining chapters are available on my Patreon which can be found here if you go for the second tier. New chapters of Parum Mortis every Wednesday/Sunday! Also just a quick note: I don't mind people saving this story for personal reading. But I'd appreciate it if people didn't post it elsewhere, even if you're just suggesting it to other people. If you want to show others, please send them a link to the first page of this post! Thanks!

Chapter 3 - Pit Stop George dragged the last bite of fried chicken through the pool of ketchup on his tray, coating it with a generous amount of the sauce before popping it into his mouth. He savoured the last bite, then licked his fingers. Almost automatically he moved to give them a quick wipe on the side of his jeans, before a cough from Alice stopped him. With a look of mild disapproval, she nodded towards the pile of thin paper napkins she’d grabbed from the food hall. He quickly took the hint and wiped himself clean with one. before balling it up and dropping it into the brown paper bag their meals had come packed in, which was now serving as a makeshift bin. “Those jeans are brand new mister.” She tutted. “I don’t expect you to keep everything looking pristine this summer, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go getting things dirty unnecessarily.” “Oh, sorry.” George mumbled. He rested one hand under his chin whilst the other idly picked away at the remaining chips. Alice wasn’t quite sure what to make of George just yet. He was a shy boy. That was for certain. The last time she’d met him in person he’d been half his current age, and she mostly remembered him as being rather quiet and polite. Not too keen on talking with people he saw as strangers, even if his mother vouched for them. That explained his muted engagement with her these last few days, but she had hoped that he would have opened up a bit more by now. If they were going to be spending the summer together, they were going to have to get to know one another. “So, how's the jetlag?” She broke the silence with a question. The bags under Georges eyes gave the answer. “Uh, a bit better. I think.” He spoke. “Is it always gonna be this bad? I thought Jet lag only lasted a day.” “It can last a lot longer actually. Depends on how severe the difference is.” She explained as she resumed eating her own chicken salad. “I was on a business trip to London a few years back and it took half a week to get out of it. I don’t know how I got anything done those days.” She tried a smile of sympathy, but he didn’t return it. He just sighed and went back to his food. Biting his lip, as if there was something he was thinking about intently. “Cat got your tongue?” “Huh? No, just... Just thinking.” He shook his head. “Well, I’m here to listen if you want to tell me something. I’m looking after you, so don’t feel like you need to keep things wrapped up. I want you to be able to trust me.” George looked up at the woman he was still unfamiliar with and gave a weak smile. “How do you know my mum then?” If he didn’t know his guardian very well, there was only one way to fix that. Alice finished a mouthful of chicken before replying. “We were friends as kids. My father was in the Airforce, got posted to Britian during the cold war, working with the Royal Airforce. He and my mother had to move over to Britain you see, but not before they had me. I spent a lot of time back here with my grandparents, but they wanted me to stay settled and with them when it came time for me to start school, so we ended up spending the Summers back in America but the rest of the school year in Britain.” “Sounds familiar.” George said pointedly. Alice nodded. “Well, who knows. If you like it, maybe you could come over again next summer.” The look on her face became more serious and she leaned in over her tray. “But right now, we’ve got this summer to think about. So let's try and focus on making sure you have a good time, alright? We’ve not had the greatest of starts the last couple of days, have we?” George looked down, feeling slightly embarrassed. It was true though. He’d spent the last two days in the doldrums of jet-lagged sleep, not feeling up for doing much beyond eating and sleeping. For a summer holiday spent in America, he didn’t have much to write home about so far. Alice continued. “You are a lot like your mother you know. She was the shy girl at school, always rather nervous. Afraid of big changes. I remember I was the centre of attention for a bit, being the American kid, and she must have been the only one in the class who didn’t have a hundred questions for me about living abroad.” “How’d you end up as friends then?” George turned his head. Alice reminisced for a second before giving an answer. “We were given some class assignment. Something to do with local history. I didn’t know a thing, obviously, but the teacher had divided us up into pairs for it and me and your mom were put together.” She smirked. “It was a group project, but your mom ended up doing all the work. I think my biggest contribution was helping with the highlighter and glue sticks.” “So, you were friends after that?” “We were friends after that.” She nodded. “Not the most exciting story, but I was glad I managed to make a friend when I was alone and somewhere new.” She looked knowingly at George. “Maybe you can try and make some friends whilst you’re here as well.” “Yeah, sounds good.” He pushed a smile onto his face and nodded slightly. He was always the shy kid. The awkward kid. He knew that. Never the centre of attention. But his parents and now his godmother were prodding him to try and put himself out there, and he wanted to. It was just a lot easier to say it than do it. “Well, you’ve got a big summer ahead of you. I’m not just going to let you waste the weeks away playing on your Gameboy inside.” George resisted the urge to tell her that it was a 3DS and not a Gameboy, and simply nodded again. “It's nice.” He admitted. “Washington, I mean.” “You’ve seen nothing yet. Wait until we get out into the woods in a few weeks. I’ve already rented us places at a lodge. You'll have a whole week up there to explore and play and have fun. Have you ever been kayaking before?” George shook his head. “I think you’re going to like it.” She said with confidence. “They do windsurfing out on a big lake where the lodge is as well. They do a lot of sports and games out there. You can give them all a try and see what you like.” “Yeah, that sounds pretty cool.” George admitted. He wasn’t normally the sporty type, but the prospect of trying a lot of cool and exotic sounding stuff like windsurfing had his attention. “That's all in a few weeks though. Tomorrow, we’re gonna go to a place in town and get you kitted out with some of the clothes you'll need. Swimming trunks for the lake, and when we spend days at the beach. Plus, a uniform for baseball. There’s a local team that meets twice a week I’d like you to go to. I already cleared it with the coach, they said they’re happy to have a new boy join.” That sounded less appealing that the kayaking and windsurfing to George. Bad memories of school P.E. lessons and sports day screwups rose uneasily in the back of his mind. “I uh, don’t really know how to play.” He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, you'll learn. Everyone on the team had to at some point.” Alice pointed out. She reached down into her purse and pulled out a dark green looking notebook. It looked well used. Multitudes of coloured tags protruding from it like little bookmarks. Alice glanced at one of them and opened it to that page, then turned it to show George. Seeing the pages himself, George realised that it wasn’t a notebook but a diary, with each page numbered with a date at the top and various section underneath filled with writing. Unfortunately, none of it seemed legible to him. It was written in thin black ink, in the way a lot of grown-ups did that made their writing impossible to read. What was it called again? Cyrillic? No, Cursive. Something like that. “What's with all the tags?” He asked. “I like to keep myself organised.” Alice replied. “I put this together to plan out our summer vacation together. It's organised by date, and it's all color coded. Green is for outdoor activities, blue for water-based ones, dark green for sport, and so on. See?” She flicked through a few more pages to demonstrate. “The day after tomorrow is baseball practice.” She flicked a few pages forward to one with a dark green tag and more unreadable writing in it. “I can’t really read it.” George admitted after trying for a few seconds. “Oh, do they not teach you cursive over there?” She asked. So that’s what it's called “Not really, no.” George said. “Is that an American thing?” “More of an old thing.” Alice snapped the diary shut and tucked it away in her purse again. “Me and your mother both learned it at school together. But it’s a dying form.” She sighed. George didn’t really see what there was to be annoyed about. What was the point of learning a way of writing if no one could read it without squinting? “Well, enough reminiscing, if you’re finished, lets head out.” She nodded to his empty tray of refuse as they both stood up from the bench. George had been about to leave it without a second thought, and he turned to pick it up, feeling slightly guilty. There was a series of bins and a section to put dirty trays just inside the building, and George was careful not to get any more grease or sauce on his hands as he slid the collection of cardboard and slimy paper into the rubbish bin. “George, why don’t you try and go potty before we leave, it's just over there.” She pointed over to a set of hanging signs just outside a small side passageway about 20 feet away. The little white symbol for the bathroom unmistakable on the blue background. “I don’t really have to go.” George replied. “Well, we’ve got a drive back remember. We'll be in the car for a couple of hours at least, and I’d rather not have to worry about finding somewhere to pull over. So could you please go and try?” Her tone of voice was friendly, but George recognised a mix of condescension in there as well. The sort you heard when a grown up makes up their mind about you doing something. “Uh, yeah, ok then.” Feeling a little awkward, he turned around and idled towards the sign pointing the way. Why do you care so much lady? It’s not like I’m gonna pee on the car seats or something. Alice watched him go, one hand fiddling with her necklace as she found herself in thought. George was a good kid. It was a shame that he seemed to be troubled. Some of that must be expected, she knew. The split between his parents and its effects on a young boy like him were obvious: The shyness, the moodiness, the fights at school. Now the bedwetting, which she suspected was not entirely the result of extensive jetlag. Mary had never mentioned any issue with bedwetting before she’d seen George off on his summer adventure though. Alice knew her old friend would never have been deliberately misleading about such matters, so perhaps the poor boy had been covering it up at home? She frowned. Then again, he’d seemed genuinely shocked the previous day when she’d come to wake him up and found a profoundly embarrassed godson trying to strip his bed in panic. If these accidents were a new development, that meant things were getting even worse, and then she would need to act. Not just for the sake of saving a holiday, but for his general wellbeing. She rubbed her fingers along the tiny golden links off her neckwear, as the other hand made its way to her pocket and her phone, Mary’s number already in her head. She had always taken a proactive approach to problem solving. It was what had enabled much of her career success. Issues and setbacks couldn’t be allowed to be neglected and fester. She feared that might be happening now with George. She’d never doubted that Mary would make a good mother, of course. There had never been any question of that. But the poor woman had a lot to deal with now. Alice had taken George for the summer in part because she wanted to give the two of them a reprieve for their problems. No, it wasn’t fair to think that Mary was at fault for this. No, this was something she should be dealing with. Besides, if George was telling the truth – and she felt inclined to believe that he was – then calling in the cavalry wasn’t needed just yet. They’d gotten his diapers without too much of a fuss, and that would head off any further threat of wet beds and ruined nights. Let's see how things go tonight, then make a move from there, if we need to. Her hand let go of the phone and re-emerged from her pocket. But even as it did so, gears were already turning in her head. Her experience with looking after kids was rather limited, and a bedwetting, moody youngster wasn’t her area of expertise. She would need to do some work. Find someone who was an expert, get appropriate advice on the matter. That would have to wait until they got home though. She idly shifted in place and tapped her foot on the floor as she glanced over at the sign for the toilets. What was taking George so long?

Chapter 44: The Plan “You cannot be serious about having a sleepover at a teacher’s house.” Desi had pulled me aside from the hallway to a couch in a secluded corner close to the teacher’s lounge. We were waiting for Lisa before first period, while Samantha was making a trip to the restroom. I had avoided going along with Samantha, determined to work on keeping control of my bladder until after my first class. With as much orange juice as I had drunk that morning, the odds of doing so were questionable, but I had a pull-up on in case of any accidents. The bus had arrived early, so we had a while to sit and chat before the first class of the day. I had just told Desi about how Mom had agreed to allow for a sleepover at Lisa’s place. She was less than enthused at the chosen location. “Why can’t we just go to Samantha’s place?” Desi asked. “That worked fine last time.” “Because Lisa’s never had a sleepover before,” I replied. “And, with her, um, condition, I think she’d be a lot more comfortable to be able to do her first sleepover at home.” I left out one of the main reasons behind why I preferred a sleepover at Lisa’s place. It was the easiest option for the plan that I had to conceal my own bedwetting, as Lisa was the only one of my friends who was currently aware of that issue. Lisa’s own bedwetting and incontinence problems would provide the perfect cover for keeping my own issues a secret. Before Desi could continue the argument, Samantha arrived back from the restroom and sat down to my right with a large sigh as she let her backpack fall to the floor with a thump. Desi leaned across me to get Samantha’s attention. “Sarah wants our next sleepover to be at Lisa’s place,” Desi said. “Can you believe that? I mean, you do know that Lisa lives with her uncle, who, you know, just happens to be our history teacher.” “Wait, your mom finally let you out of the doghouse?” Samantha said, turning toward me. “It’s about time we had a second sleepover.” “Did. You. Not. Hear. What. I. Said,” Desi interrupted. “I like her uncle and all, but that’s going to be so awkward being over at his house.” “No, it won’t,” I said. “I spent the afternoon working on one of the history projects there. Lisa’s aunt and uncle basically left us alone most of the time.” “I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” Samantha said. “If Lisa is most comfortable with a sleepover at her place, let’s just do it there.” “And as a bonus, no annoying younger siblings around either,” I added, in reference to Samantha’s younger brother and toddler sister. “Fine, but I have one condition,” Desi said, giving Samantha a slight glare. “No games of truth or dare.” I knew exactly what Desi was referring to. She was still a bit salty about being dared to pee in a pull-up the last time we had played that game. That had been at a sleepover at Samantha’s place. The game of truth or dare took a turn for the crazy when a couple of the dares had involved pull-ups from Samantha’s younger brother, who was still a bedwetter. I had dared Samantha to wear the pull-up. Samantha had then dared Desi to pee in it. “About that,” I said, taking a look around to make sure Lisa wasn’t in the process of walking up to us. “I have an idea about how we might be able to help Lisa feel more comfortable having a sleepover with her condition.” “What’s that?” Samantha asked. I paused and took a quick breath before going ahead with my plan. It was quite audacious really, but if I could get them to agree to it, it would make things so much easier for me. “I think we should all wear diapers to bed to help Lisa not feel embarrassed.” I didn’t get an immediate response from either of them. Desi was glaring at me, while Samantha’s face had turned slightly red, and she wasn’t quite making eye contact with me anymore. “For real,” Desi said at last. “You do remember that you guys made me piss in a pull-up for a game of truth-or-day at our last sleepover?” “Hey, that wasn’t my dare. That was Samantha,” I said. “And don’t be silly. You don’t actually have to use a diaper. Just wear one to bed so she doesn’t feel alone about her condition.” “I don’t have a problem with that,” Samantha said. “Well, of course you don’t,” Desi retorted. “You wore a diaper to the Halloween party.” “Would have been a pretty poor baby outfit if I didn’t have one on,” Samantha replied. “Guys, let’s cut the bickering,” I said. “You know how embarrassed Lisa gets. It’s her first sleepover, so let’s make sure it goes well for her.” “Fine,” Desi said after a long pause, rolling her eyes. “But don’t you dare expect me to pee in it.” “You know,” I said, turning to Samantha. “You don’t happen to have any extra diapers from your Halloween outfit, do you? That way, we wouldn’t have to take any from Lisa.” “Oh, sorry, I don’t have them,” Samantha said. “I tossed the rest of the package afterward. Wasn’t planning on doing that for a Halloween outfit again.” “That’s fine,” I said. “I’m sure Lisa won’t mind if we use some of hers. But let’s not mention it to her until it’s time for bed.” “When exactly are we planning to have the sleepover exactly,” Samantha asked. “I don’t know yet. I hadn’t had a chance to tell Lisa that my mom gave the OK, but she had already said that hosting it would work.” I caught sight of Lisa walking toward us in the hallway. “We can ask her now about times for the sleepover. And don’t mention anything about diapers, OK?” Maybe it was because of how familiar I had become with wearing diapers over the past couple of months, but the crinkle was just slightly noticeable as Lisa carefully smoothed out her dress as she sat down to join us on the couch. When we’d last talked at length about her incontinence issues, she had told me she was trying to mostly wear pull-ups during the day to help with getting to the toilet. That didn’t seem to be the case currently, but couldn’t blame her for all the bullying she had gone through with our shared nemesis, Claire. “Got some good news. Guess what it is,” I said. “What’s that?” Lisa asked as she left her backpack gently down in front of the couch. “Mom finally gave the OK for the sleepover.” “We can actually do it, then?” “Yep, are you still good having it at your place?” “I’ll need to check with my aunt and uncle again, but they were OK with it when I suggested it before.” “Lisa, do you have a second?” We all turned to see Lisa’s uncle standing around the corner. “Coming,” Lisa said, carefully adjusting the back of her dress as she stood up from the couch. “I’ll be back in a second,” she said, turning back to us quickly before following her uncle toward the teacher’s lounge. Desi took a glance at her phone. “Still have some time before class starts,” she said. “Gonna run to the restroom quick. You coming?” “No, I’m good.” Desi rolled her eyes at me. “Just come, or you’ll be racing to the toilet after the first period.” While neither Samantha nor Desi were aware of my pull-ups or bladder accidents, they had caught on to the fact that my bathroom trips were happening more frequently and sometimes with more urgency. I acquiesced to her request, and by the time we were back from the restroom, Lisa had gotten back as well. “You’re good to come over for a sleepover,” Lisa said, as Desi and I returned to the couch where she and Samantha were seated. “My uncle just told me. Says your mom called him just a little while ago.” “That was quick.” “Yep, and we can do it any weekend we like. This weekend will work if everyone is free.” “Works for me,” Samantha said eagerly. “Same,” said Desi. “Let’s do it then,” I said. --- I fought the urge to squirm in my seat. This was the fifth class of the day, and I had so far managed to avoid any accidents, though there had been several close calls. The only relief was that my accidents were back to being a secret. I’d hidden my daytime accidents long enough that Mom thought they were all over, and she wasn’t making me wear pull-ups and counting how many I’d used. That didn’t mean I was back in underwear. I’d managed to find time to go and secretly buy some pull-ups of my own, which unfortunately didn’t seem like something that I was going to be able to stop doing anytime soon. There was enough time remaining in the class period that I didn’t have any real hope of staying dry until I was able to get to the restroom. I doubted that even if I put my hand up to get a restroom pass that I would be able to make it if I left this instant. On one hand, if I had just gone to the restroom between every single class period, there were minimal chances of having an accident. But one piece of advice Lisa had given me was that if you kept peeing too frequently, while you might initially avoid accidents, you would also be training your bladder to not need to hold it that longer, which would eventually lead to having accidents again. Still, I tried not to let the disappointment get to me as the slow trickle of urine turned into a steady stream, filling up my pull-up. I gave in to curiosity and took a quick glance down at my high-rise jeans. No leaks. The jeans fit well enough that any bulge from the pull-up was likely unperceivable to anyone but myself, though I suppose perhaps it was something that Lisa could notice, not that she was in my class this period. I knew the fastest route to every single restroom in the school, depending on which class I was leaving, and I made a beeline to the nearest one as soon as the bell rang. I turned to step into the restroom when I bumped into Lisa, who was doing the same from the opposite direction. We didn’t say anything to each other as we settled into adjacent stalls. I think we both had an idea of why each of us was actually there. At first, I had preferred going to a lesser-used restroom to change out of wet pull-ups, but I soon realized that any crinkling was much less noticeable with the background noise that comes with a larger, packed restroom. I slid my jeans off as well as I could manage in the stall and carefully swapped out a dry pull-up for the wet one, which I buried deep in the garbage can. I did manage to pee a little in the toilet as well, which would help if I was to stay dry until after the fourth period and our lunch break. I did hear a louder, crinkling sound coming from Lisa’s stall, which confirmed my earlier suspicion that she was back in diapers again. I did a double-take as we stepped out of the restroom. Claire was walking right toward us from the opposite direction. Our feud had come to a pause after the fight that got us both kicked off of the cheerleading squad. I hadn’t passed her in the hallway since the week before when I had gone to the drug store to purchase pull-ups for myself, only to find Claire manning the check-out station. I’d told Claire that I was getting the pull-ups for my sister and had threatened to get her fired if she said anything about the purchase. Still, it wouldn’t do any good to have Claire spreading rumors, and I wasn’t going to let her know how worried I was. I paused and leaned against the row of lockers as she approached, staring her down until she averted her eyes and passed by on the other side. It wasn’t until after Claire had passed by me that I turned and noticed Lisa standing motionless just outside the restroom door. “Thanks for that,” Lisa said quietly as we made our way down the hallway. I guessed that Lisa assumed that quiet confrontation between me and Claire had to do with the way that Claire had bullied Lisa by revealing her incontinence issues to the school. “Hold on a second,” Lisa said, coming to a stop. “There’s a problem I’m not sure how to deal with.” “What’s that?” Lisa, who’s about a half-foot taller than me, leaned down toward my ear. “I’m missing two diapers from my backpack,” Lisa whispered. “And you’re certain? When was the last time you checked?” “I had packed four, and I usually only change once or twice. But when I went to grab a clean one just now, there were only two left.” “No pull-ups?” I asked. “Can we not have that conversation here?” Lisa said, looking around at the crowded hallway. In here, I said, grabbing Lisa’s arm and pulling her aside into an empty classroom. “Yes, I’m taking a break from working on toilet training,” Lisa said, without turning to look at me. “It’s just been really stressful, and I couldn’t deal with the stress of trying to get to the toilet on time on top of everything else. But that’s not the point. The point is someone stole two of my diapers. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why anyone would take them?” I said. “Pretty much everyone at school already knows. And no one really has cared about it after the first week or so. Is it possible that you didn’t pack as many as you thought, or could they have fallen out of the backpack?” “No, I definitely put them in there this morning, and there isn’t any way they would have fallen out.” “So you definitely think someone took them?” “Yeah.” “That still doesn’t make any sense. Can’t see why someone would do that.” “Probably some freak who wears them for fun.” “People do that?” “People do everything, Sarah, but yeah, everything includes using diapers. Everyone at school knows that I have them in my backpack, so my bet is some weirdo grabbed them, though I can’t figure out when that could have happened.” I couldn’t think of any suggestions either, and I couldn’t get over the weird idea that someone would intentionally choose to wear diapers without any actual need for them. “We need to get going, or we’re going to be late to your uncle’s class,” I said, as I started to walk back out of the classroom. “Wait,” Lisa said, as I stepped toward the door. “I had a question about the sleepover.” “Yeah, what about it?” “So, like, what are we going to do at the sleepover?” I almost said something a little sarcastic back and then remembered that Lisa hadn’t ever had the opportunity to have a sleepover with friends before. So it was a fair question. “Well, I’m sure we can watch some movies, maybe even teach Samantha and Desi how to play some video games.” “That’s not what I meant. You’re going to tell them, right?” “Tell them what?” “You know what I mean. About your bedwetting.” Why did Lisa have to be bringing up this conversation now? “I can’t.” “Of course you can. Desi and Samantha already know about me, and they’ve never made it an issue.” “It’s too embarrassing.” “And having the whole school find out I wear diapers wasn’t?” “Lisa, I’m really sorry you had to go through that, but you know what that was like, so please don’t make me.” Lisa sighed. “Fine, but it would really just be easier if you told them than if they end up finding out because accident at some point.” The bell rang in the hallway again, signaling we needed to be at our next classes. “Don’t worry about me,” I told her. “The sleepover is going to be a blast.”

A Warning As with my previous stories, this one contains several elements inherent to the pre-established 'Diaper Dimension.' These include, but are not limited to: Diapers and their usage for their intended purpose Breastfeeding Non-consensual mental regression through various means (Including possible drugs, hypnosis, and/or surgery) References to surgery to achieve various nefarious goals Humiliation Giants, aka, Amazons or Bigs Predominantly female domination (some male) Babying of adults (perceived or otherwise) Experimentation on humans Kidnapping Coerced or manipulated actions through possible means of white lies, gas lighting, or incentives Mild language or use of explitives Depictions of death, illness, or handicaps Graphic imagery associated with any of these warnings This story has not been labeled as mature, due to a lack of specific references to anything overtly sexual, but this warning serves as a 'turn back' point for any readers who do not wish to read about the previous warnings. Lastly, this list is subject to change during the course of writing this story. While most of the plot is ironed out, more warnings may be added if needed. For those readers interested or do not care about the warnings listed, please enjoy the following story. So, this will be my next story set in the diaper dimension. I fully admit that I am not paralyzed myself, so I hope I do not offend anyone with this topic, but after tearing a muscle in my back this summer, I couldn't help but think of what I would bargain away to get rid of the pain or the problems that I was having. It seemed to good of an opportunity to pass up. If everything holds, this story will be divided into 6 parts, but all will be posted within this thread. If nothing goes wrong, I should have this completed before mid-October and I'll likley be picking up shortly after with a bit of a different story with magic and diapers and whatnot. It's not my usual fair, but I wanted to do something with Halloween in mind this go around. I hope everyone enjoys this first chapter! Part I: New Beginnings Chapter 1: Crashing Through Life The storm had been raging for the better part of the day, but Patrick had to be picked up from a friend’s party. He had run his truck into the ground and the engine likely needed to be fully replaced according to the auto body shop that had towed it away two days ago. He sighed and scoffed deeply as he entered his mom’s car, still frustrated over the fact that he couldn’t get a rental car until tomorrow and thus had to rely on her for transportation. Of course, Laura had noticed immediately and just let it go to maintain the peace between the two of them as usual. For the past two years their lives had touched briefly about every two weeks now in between visits. She didn’t like it, but she didn’t want to start another fight over it. About halfway through the drive back home, however, Laura turned onto a long stretch of road with only two lanes. It saved everyone who took it about an hour of driving, but it was a dangerous stretch that had claimed many lives. She had just gotten off her shift at the hospital so getting home as soon as possible after dropping her son off at his home was the main priority before her lack of sleep caught up to her. As a nurse, she knew very well the number of deadly crashes that had occurred here even in perfect weather. Patrick mumbled something under his breath. “Say something, honey?” Laura asked sweetly, trying to keep the spark alive with her ever-further distant son. Patrick shifted and just continued to stare out the window. “No…” Laura continued to stare at him with her tried and true facial expression that she had used on him since he was two years old. She didn’t say a word, but her well-crafted look said all it needed to. Patrick groaned. “Fine, mom. Geez! It’s just embarrassing to be picked up by my mom when I’m 25.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s fine. Just drop it…” It was now Laura’s turn to sigh. “You know how I hate that word…” “What? Fine?” Laura nodded. “It’s just a word, mom, and it’s just how I feel. I’m fine.” Laura sighed again. “I’m sorry you feel embarrassed sweetie, but your car is still in the shop getting repaired and your rental won’t be ready until tomorrow. You’re lucky my shift ended when it did, and I could pick you up. Something tells me that your other friends back there wouldn’t have been… uh, as safe.” Laura tiptoed around outright saying sober, but Patrick still caught on to her insinuation. “Yeah… maybe. But it was a party!” Patrick threw his hands up in the air. “We were celebrating Sam’s promotion at work!” “And that’s wonderful, dear. I just wish your fun would have been safer. I am your mother. It’s practically in the job description to worry about my only child.” Patrick rolled his eyes. “Yeah… it’s just my stupid car is all. Would have been fine otherwise.” Laura sighed. “Honey, I love you, but that car has been on its last legs for months now. Even as mechanically inept as I may be compared to your late father, even I could tell that. Sometimes I just wish…” Laura faded off. Patrick turned to her with an annoyed look, one that was continually adopted by him whenever they talked about his dad. “What?” Laura shook her head and gave a small shake of her hand to wave him off the subject, before quickly snapping it back to the shaky wheel from the elements outside. “What?” Patrick pressed again. Laura sighed. “It’s just that…” She paused and took her eyes off the road for a second to reflect on her next words. Lightning crashed all around the two and the rain seemed to only pepper their car further. The only positive was that with all the bends in the road, both could see the exit off in the distance whenever the lightning would light up the sky. Having taken the road before in more favorable conditions, ten more minutes and they would be off this stretch and nearly home. “I just wish you were a little… less carefree.” Patrick groaned. “Sorry I’m not some corporate shill like all my other friends,” Patrick said with a deep undertone of sarcasm. Laura winced at the implication. She wanted the best for her son, but she also wanted him to be happy, a fact which couldn’t necessarily be said about his other friends who had pursued careers for money instead of what they enjoyed. “You know that’s not what I want for you, I just… you’re so darn talented. You could do so much…” Laura said wistfully. “You know how much I admired you for not becoming an engineer, doctor, or lawyer like half the block. I mean look at them all now. Out of the ten friends you grew up with from there, seven went on to have one of those three jobs. Now, only two of them have still stuck with it.” Laura let out and exaggerated breath. “I want you to follow your passions, but I just wish that you would pursue them a little more…” “It’s my life, mom. I don’t want to burn out like all the rest. Can’t you understand that?” Patrick’s eyes pleaded out with his mom. He wasn’t poor or anything, but no one could consider him wealthy either. He had tried engineering for a while, but after an intense argument one fall semester, Patrick had changed his major to art. Currently, he worked for an ad agency, but he was still the low man on the totem pole. Laura saw the desperation in her son’s eyes. She knew he had the potential to do well, but two years at the bottom of a company was long enough. Something had to be done. “I do, honey. I just wish…” “Yeah, yeah. You just want me to work a little harder. Work for my position and all that... It’s a nice sentiment and I’m trying sometimes but there’s more to it.” Patrick paused and looked at the ground for a brief second to gather his willpower to continue this conversation. Once collected, he shifted his head back up to meet his mom’s turned and loving gaze. “I… Mom! Look out!” Patrick quickly reached for the wheel to turn out of the path of the oncoming tractor trailer as his mom tried to react to it as well. It was too late though. The large vehicle had slipped out of its own lane and was coming right for them. In a second, the two cars collided with a sickening crunch. All at once the world lurched forward as glass and metal spewed in all directions. Two large pieces came hurdling toward him and his mom. * * * “No!” Patrick bolted upright in bed. He was soaked in sweat and his breathing was labored. Per his old therapist’s recommendation, Patrick looked around the room to steady himself by using his five senses. It took a minute to complete properly, but it really did help, and he once again thanked the universe for lining him up with her after the crash. He looked around the room and shook his head. “Five years… where has the time gone?” Patrick glanced over at his small, old alarm clock and saw that it was 8:06 in the morning. He groaned audibly. “I was hoping to sleep in today, but there’s no point now. Just got to get on with things…” Patrick adjusted himself in his bed, and after many years of practice by now, with a grunt, he was able to swing his legs over and to the side of the bed. Some people had massive cramps in the morning with his condition, but not Patrick. With a large sigh, he collected his wheelchair and then hoisted himself into it. It was black and lower to the ground without any handles in the rear for him to be pushed by someone else, as requested. He lived alone and dealt with all this by himself. It sucked most days at this point, but that was just life after the accident and his ensuing paralysis. His suffering was part of his self-enforced punishment for what had happened. The accident had done many things, but Patrick had fractured his L1 through L3 vertebrate. It caused a lot of issues initially, but the most apparent were what he had to deal with in the morning ever since he had managed it himself since that night. With a groggy sigh, Patrick wheeled himself over to the bathroom to relieve himself. Due to the nature of his injury and his doctor’s plan, it was discovered that enemas and intermittent catheterization were the best policies to avoid any accidents or blockages. Patrick had been a private person about most of that stuff before but now, he knew that he just needed relief. Personal happiness or feelings of modesty had to be placed aside occasionally to ensure nothing got worse. He collected the necessary materials and winced as he prepared himself for the now daily ordeal. The incident that had occurred two years ago when he had to be hospitalized over a blockage then was a painful reminder to just set one’s ego aside and get this whole thing over with. Positioning himself correctly, Patrick applied the apparatuses to relieve himself. It was darn frustrating to do this every morning, but he knew that it needed to be done. About twenty minutes or relief and cleanup later, Patrick wheeled himself out of the bathroom after washing himself off and removing the catheter. “One day I might get used to this… maybe…” Patrick sighed and then rolled himself over to his easily accessible dresser. With some careful maneuvering, he quickly popped out a pair of jeans and a nice polo shirt. Today was a special day and he didn’t want to look like a complete bum. His beard had already grown out and he knew his mom would have disliked how it framed his previously gushed-at round and rosy cheeks. Satisfied with his appearance and groaning after finally getting his shoes on with a little manipulation, Patrick rolled out to the kitchen. After a quick spot of cereal later and the popping of some pills, he was out the door with his usual backpack attached to the rear of his chair. It had everything he would need for the day, and he at least had the common sense to pack it the night before in case it was one of the ‘bad’ mornings. Closing his door, Patrick looked distastefully at the view before him. His apartment was decent but was by no means the fanciest in town. Sparse furniture and minimal wall decorations all desperately noted his still-single status and overall depression. Dating was tough in this town, but the accident or its consequences always seemed to weigh too heavily on his mind to make a real effort to even contemplate a change. Regardless, Patrick then locked his door and rolled down the hallway and to the small elevator at the end. A few neighbors acknowledged him as he wheeled by on the creaking laminate flooring in the hallway, but none made the effort to give him a full ‘hello.’ Patrick had given up on trying to be friendly a year after he moved in here. It was just too much effort for too little of results. On the ground floor and right before he exited the apartment building, Mr. Stacci bumbled out of his front door. “You! Patrick!” Patrick halted and pivoted his wheelchair back to face his odious landlord. “Yes, Mr. Stacci?” he asked as politely as he could. Rent control still wasn’t in place around here and Mr. Stacci was highly known for charging more toward those he disliked. “Rent is due. Pay it in the next day or you’re out!” His breath wasn’t necessarily foul, but if this was a cartoon, a green and noxious odor would have likely spewed out of his chubby and tiny head and all over Patrick as he lumbered over to him. “Yes… right…” Patrick acknowledged. He had the money thanks to some family funds but keeping track of time always felt hard these days. He kept a calendar on his phone, but it remained an issue of his since the accident. “You’ll get the money on time. Promise.” “Good.” The heavily obese and balding man huffed by the front entrance but then squinted his dark and beady eyes. “You know I’m a man of my word. Money tomorrow or you’re out.” Patrick just nodded solemnly, hoping the encounter would end soon. Fortunately for his sense of smell though, Mr. Stacci seemed satisfied and turned about and crept back into his own first floor apartment. A few of the old pictures on the wall briefly rattled as his door slammed close. Patrick sighed at the encounter, made a mental note of the rent while checking his phone calendar, and then made it outside and to the nearby bus stop. He lived in the city and cars just gave him a bit of anxiety now, so the bus system or newly installed public transportation monorail were good enough and had at least become more reliable since the influx of technology in the past two decades. The bus soon halted and lowered its platform device for Patrick to get on board. A few stared as he locked himself into position, but Patrick just ignored them as he usually did by now. It had become routine and Freddy, the bus driver, just gave a nod of his head when Patrick signaled that he was ready. The two rarely spoke, but Freddy had trusted him enough to let him lock himself in by now. It was no secret to anyone that even slightly knew him that Patrick still liked his independence. About thirty minutes after a bumpy and uncomfortable ride later, Freddy announced, “Seventh Street! Seventh Street!” With all the automation in technology, Freddy appreciated the warmth of the personal announcement that he would give out on his bus. Plus, his booming yet gentle voice usually woke anyone up who had fallen asleep and would prevent them from missing their stop. At the current seventh street, Patrick made no motion to Freddy to stop, but he did anyway only meters away from turning into the bust stop. Patrick had taken this route several times before, so Freddy only maneuvered the controls to let Patrick off near the curb. Satisfied after Patrick had made it off, Freddy closed the doors and leaned back in his seat. Soon, the bus was huffing away down the hilly road to the east and eventually out of sight. Patrick sighed at the loneliness of seventh street but then wheeled himself a block to the west and halted before looking up at the large sign above him, ‘Grace and Prosperity Cemetery.’ Patrick blinked back the tears that always seemed to form when he entered here and fervently hoped that one day that might stop. Still, today was more important, and after purchasing a bouquet of flowers from a nearby vendor, he pushed forward more in the cemetery and finally made it to a small plot of land perched on a hill looking over the growing and buzzing city in the near distance. The grave was large and had been purchased years ago by his father. The black granite was practically a mirror to all else that went on around it, but the intricately carved white lettering provided a nice contrast that his parents both appreciated when they were selecting it together. When his father passed away suddenly, his mom and him both found the site a bit depressing but still elegant and regal. Today wasn’t any different. “Happy Birthday, mom.” The accident had taken away more than the majority of feeling from Patrick’s waist down; it had also taken his mom’s life. The storm had caused a delay in rescue and treatment which led to his mom bleeding out more than the doctors could repair as well as the deadening of his nerves in his spine. The distant city shone against the cloudy atmosphere of the day and stood as a symbol of all the change that the world had undergone after discovering portal technology. Trade agreements with the Amazons, or how they liked to be called, Bigs, had fixed so many of the world’s previous and seemingly insurmountable problems. Pollution was quickly becoming a distant memory and most citizens of the world had enough food and power to at least be satisfied, if not comfortable. Even medical treatments had started to advance, but like all things, they had come with a price and had their limits. Now, his mom might have been saved, but even a few years ago, well… the grave was evidence enough of the technology not arriving in time to save her life. Patrick fumbled around in his backpack and pulled out an old silver flask. His dad had given it to him when he had turned 18, much to the chagrin of his mom, but it was a nice reminder of better times. “Cheers, you two.” Patrick toasted the stark gravestone etched with his parents’ names and then took a swig of the whiskey he had poured into the flask last night when he had packed his backpack. “I hope you all don’t judge me for this…” he said, gesturing to the flask. “I know the doctors advise me not to drink with my medication, but… I’m sure if you all can hear or see me now… you would get it.” Patrick took another swig and casually glanced around to see if anyone was watching him. They likely wouldn’t care, but he still didn’t want to be watched in pity. He still had some standards to maintain… Another hill over, Patrick could see a family gathering around another gravestone. Their heads were all hung low, but each held each other’s hand tightly. It wasn’t the first time, but the loneliness of it all could still be felt just as keenly as when he first realized he was now all alone. “Honestly, a sibling, an aunt or uncle… someone would be nice by now. Can’t blame you all, but ugh… I just miss you all… so friggin lonely around here these days.” He took another swig and winced a little as a few more drops went down his throat than were intended. It burned but on days like this, feeling the burn almost felt good. Given his current predicament, the burn was at least something. He was already numb in so many other ways, so even the sting in the back of his throat was a reminder that he was still above ground, unlike most of the people here today. Patrick then laid the small bundle of flowers he had purchased on top of the grave and gave another toast with his flask. “Cheers to you all. Sorry to be the downer and all… but if I hadn’t… I only wish… I would have done that night very differently…” Patrick blinked back an errant tear. It wasn’t the first time he apologized or felt guilty when coming here. While his inheritance and disability let him live a comfortable life, the guilt that plagued him after that night with his mom was nearly intolerable. To say the least, there had been several low points in the five years since the accident. Patrick wiped his face and then gave one more cheer and a long sip of his flask before rolling back out of the cemetery. Staying longer wouldn’t do anyone any good and would just give him more ammo of feelings of guilt later tonight. He had figured that out the hard way three years ago when he had stayed until dark. Rolling down the block, Patrick briefly stopped at the bus stop where he had originally got off and he knew from experience that Frank would be here within the next thirty minutes, but today was different. From his position at the top of the hill, he could see a small corner bar. Knowing the drinks were strong and cheap from other times he had visited and then deviated from going straight home, he knew that it felt like just what he needed today. The neighborhood was in a failing state of what once was in society and the city. Some areas had been refurbished around the world that once looked like this, but the portal industry had changed this area for the worse. A new city center was established to the west and the original neighborhood had been left in ruin. A large and shining billboard clearly indicated the decrepitude of the chipped paint and broken brickwork buildings was not to last and soon, the new industries would be here as well. Likely, in a year, the bar now in front of him would no longer be here. “Progress…” Patrick popped some more pills before shaking his head and then wheeling himself inside. After a single beer with his sandwich, Patrick leaned back in his wheelchair and observed the patrons around him in the aging sports bar. It was still slow, but at least five people had already stared at him from their own positions at the bar or at a nearby table. He picked the corner spot to avoid more attention being drawn to him as usual, but in a place like this, someone like him tended to stick out no matter what they did. Patrick was paying more attention to his sandwich when one of the patrons started speaking loudly and caught his attention. “…stupid Amazons… All of dem are stupid… Isn’ dat wigh… right, Bill?” The man was obviously intoxicated, and the bar counter seemed to be one of the few obstacles that stood in the man’s way from completely collapsing. “Sure, Sam…” the bartender acknowledged but also partially dismissed of the patron. From his face, Patrick could see that it wasn’t the first time that this had happened with the local drunk. “Stupid tall fascists came here with all their… fancy technology…” He leaned more heavily into the bar. “I had a good job, Frank… Coal power plant.” He hiccupped. “Hippies hated us… but it was a good job!” “Good job. Right, Sam…” He polished another glass and nodded his head. “Then they came in… with the government and all. It was such a happy day.” The man took another swig from his drink. Patrick couldn’t tell what was in it. “You remember that, Frank?” Frank sighed. “I do, Sam…” Patrick did as well. Most people alive back then did too. Patrick was only five, but even at that young of an age, it wasn’t every day that a race of beings comes from a different dimension and offers your world a treaty that would only seem to solve everyone’s problems. “Yeah! Had a mass on my liver. Hardening even back then, and boom! Gone in a day!” He then got a smug look on his face. “Iss why I can drink all… this,” he gestured to his quickly draining drink. “Can’t kill me anymore!” Patrick stared at the local drunk and couldn’t help but notice almost the sad hint in his voice. He had obviously lost his job when the fusion reactors outside of town had popped on. It was free energy and the Amazons had offered job training, but the more stubborn or set-in-their-ways folks had elected for unemployment instead. ‘Idiots…’ Patrick’s father had eagerly signed up for the training. Built his own business from what he learned in the new offered classes by the new beings and then sold it for a nice chunk of change. Their small family would be financially set for years to come, but almost like a curse from that windfall of money, after only a year of joy, the next six had then claimed both his parents. “Alright… I think you’ve had enough for the day, Sam… let me call you a ride.” Frank quickly tapped on a nearby touch pad and instantly sent for a ride service to pick Sam up. It was simple and convenient and now, most just accepted the service after it was practically fully funded by the city once true unemployment and homelessness had almost been eliminated. It was a good life… ‘Too bad it was all too late for my family though...’ Patrick continued to sit in the bar for the next four hours. The light began to dim outside, and Patrick had relieved himself in the bathroom twice already with his mobile and disposable catheter products. Each had cleared his head a bit, but once he had switched to the harder stuff beyond beer an hour ago, his inebriation only seemed to take a life on its own. By the time it was night out, Patrick was feeling everything, and his inhibitions were fully lowered. The sadness of the day had been briefly put on hold. For a minute, he could almost imagine himself back with his friends before the accident if he just shut his eyes. Then, a very beautiful and leggy redhead sauntered into the bar from outside and sat at the steadily crowded bar. She was alone and many looked at her with longing looks of their own after her stunning entrance. After three guys struck out, Patrick decided to try his luck and wheeled as smoothly as he could right over to her. With a breath, he spoke in the voice he used to use to pick up women before. It had a bit of a swagger to it, but it practically breathed confidence and sincerity. “Hey there, red. I’m Patrick. Mind if I ask what’s your name?” The woman swung around to meet the gaze of the voice next to her, but after a moment of seeming confusion, her eyes dropped to the figure beneath her. After a moment of looking unsure of what to do next, she finally spoke. “Oh… uh, Mary.” “Good to meet you…” He hiccupped and could feel the stronger effects taking over. He had to push forward, but this bravado probably wouldn’t last long. “Uh… sorry, Mary. You live around here?” Not having dated for a while now, his social skills weren’t as refined as they used to be, but he still had a smidge of confidence about him. His fifth whiskey on the rocks had helped with that. Mary looked at the man below her with the same sense of loss and almost pity that Patrick had come to expect. “Yeah… but um, I’m…” “You here by yourself?” Patrick blurted out. His heart had fallen a bit at the looks she was giving him, but he had to push his luck. Mary grimaced a bit over the suddenness of the question. “Umm… yeah, but look, uh…?” “Patrick…” he said, starting to sound a little deflated at the notion of her not remembering his name already. “Right… look.” She sighed. “You seem nice and all…” Patrick could feel his drunkenly inflated hopes start to quickly fade. “But I have a boyfriend…” Patrick groaned. This was headed for failure anyway, so he decided to push his luck further. In times like these, inhibitions might have been a good thing. “Right… do you though?” he questioned. The words had just slipped out and Patrick could immediately tell that Mary wasn’t prepared for them. After her initial shock of his rudeness, her eyes squinted in annoyance. “Well, if you really must know, then no. I don’t have a boyfriend.” Her eyes narrowed further, and her voice started to rise. “I was actually just trying to protect your feelings at a rejection, but I suppose that doesn’t matter.” Patrick started to shrink away in embarrassment. Many of the growing number of patrons in the bar began to look in pity over the developing event before them. Mary seemed to notice as well and took a moment to collect her feelings. “Look, you seem nice and all… probably… but you’re drunk, and you just seem… you look like you could use a shave and maybe a haircut.” She sighed. “Maybe in another life, but not this one and certainly not today. Understand?” “Yeah… okay…” Patrick’s drunken revelry and confidence was no more. With all the dignity he could scrounge left, he quickly downed a few more rounds back at his old table, but after a few stares from those around him, however, he felt that his welcome here had passed. Subsequently, he rapidly paid for his food and drinks and exited without another word to anyone or even a glance back to the woman who had turned his advances away. The still-seated Mary and the others stared back in sympathy over the figure they saw exiting the front door, but Patrick was too entombed in his own self-pity that he didn’t notice. He didn’t even hear Frank call after him to get a ride back like he had done with Sam earlier. Once outside, Patrick rolled on through the streets. The neighborhood was still a bit of a relic and leftover from the old days of the city, and no time like the night was this more evident. Many of the lights were still their old energy sucking and dimly lit versions, which were barely able to keep even the streets below them properly lit. As such, there were many alleyways and dark corners. Gangs and drug deals were rampant in certain spots and Patrick actively avoided them at all costs. Once completely out of view of the bar and a few wandering people on the streets, Patrick began to curse himself as he made his way back home. “Stupid, stupid, stupid! Damn alcohol!” he cursed out loud. “Why would someone like that even talk with someone like me? Who am I but a lowly failure?” He paused his wheelchair in front of a partially cracked window that barely showed his passing reflection. “Fitting,” he huffed as he looked back at his own image. “Fading away and cracked down the middle…” He shook his head in disgust and wheeled onward. While his confidence from alcohol had seemingly evaporated, his overall drunken state still hadn’t. “Stupid accident… stupid party! If I had just stayed over or found my own ride, she would still be alive! Stupid! Stupid!” Patrick took another round of pills and then rolled his wheelchair down a particularly uneven sidewalk toward one of the distant bus stops. The dim lighting and his drunken state were too much though, and he missed a large crack in the sidewalk until his front wheel got caught in it. “Oh shit!” Patrick cried out when he realized the predicament that he had just gotten himself into. Unfortunately, no one was around to help him out so he tried as best he could to dislodge himself. It was no use, but he stubbornly persisted. It proved to be too much however, and his chair tipped over to the side after one of the larger lurches. “Ah! Damn it!” The wheelchair fell on the ground and Patrick sputtered out in front of it, landing with a dull thud on his head on a piece of the upturned sidewalk. In pain, disoriented, and still very drunk, Patrick looked about him for any signs of anyone that could help. Being a part of the old city that most were no longer frequenting, he reaffirmed that he was all alone. Now, Patrick had been diligent about his intermittent catheterization at the bar. It was mighty uncomfortable at times, but he had a routine. With his mild rejection and drunken state though, he had neglected to empty his bladder before he left. As such, the impact of the fall had caused the damn to burst, but Patrick still hadn’t noticed… until now as the urine encroached on his stomach. “Shit… did I fall in a puddle?” His head throbbed and his vision was becoming blurrier by the minute, but he quickly cocked his head down just to see the damage. To his horror though, all he saw was a wet spot emanating from his crotch and lower portion of his shirt. “Unbelievable…” Normally, he would have shaken it off and just gone home. He had a change of clothes in his still attached and nearby backpack, but the bump on his head and his inebriation were proving too much for his body to handle. Darkness began to overtake him and the last thing he saw was a pair of flashing lights and then a large white truck pulled up with ‘Oasis Opportunities’ plastered over the side. He could hear some distant shouting and the sound of footsteps, but he soon slipped out of consciousness and into a world of only darkness.

before the story starts, this is a spin off of my story Tinny Intruder. it was originally written for "the little theif" but since i no longer want to be a part of that, i had to delete the original and edit it slightly. this story was written by Redwelch and given to me when he stooped writing. as such it is my story to do with as i like. this story is a short 3 parts. but will tie into the last chapter of Tinny intruder and its sequel. Preas is a genetic disorder that seemingly stops a person's body from maturing. Some see it as a gift, always looking young. Some see it as a curse, rarely looking older than 12 at best and 6 at worst. No one really knows when or why Preass first appeared. Genetic mutations? God? Who knows. As a Preas, you'll typically have a few problems. The biggest problem is weak bladders, meaning most Preas wear diapers or pull-ups for protection. Because of their appearance and disability, Preas are forced to have many troubles. A Preas cannot order or buy alcohol despite having an ID. While they are allowed to drink in the privacy of their own home, they just can't buy it, The main reason is that kids would make fake IDs and try to buy alcohol. Many other minor problems like that exist, and many Preas don't know what to do with themselves. Some even have mental shutdowns and never grow up. But for one Prea, she wasn't like that. When Zoeandra was 5, she learned she had Preas and would never look older than 6. At ten, she researched Preas and all of their problems. It was here that she decided to devote herself to helping Preas. But how? Zoeandra not only studied but also worked very hard to save money. By 18, she got a small loan and started her Preas supply company. A company that makes all types of supplies for Preas. From better and more absorbent diapers to custom wardrobes that aren't from a kid's section of a story and are sold at an affordable price. By 25, she had greatly expanded her company and became number one in Preas merchandising. By 32, she had expanded to more parts of the world. "WILDA!" Zoeandra screamed from her office as she looked through her paperwork. "Yes, ma'am?" Wilda, a tall, busty woman with brunette hair, asked as she walked into the office. Wilda was Zoeandra's 12th secretary. As Zoeandra's secretary, besides regular office work, you must also help care for any of Zoeandra's particular needs. Such as driving her to and from work, changing Zoeandra's diaper, and sometimes having to calm Zoeandra down when she gets overly stressed out and starts lashing out. Of all the secretaries, Zoeandra had 3 quit because they couldn't handle the diaper changes. 3 were fired because they were constantly late to pick her up for work, 2 quit because they couldn't bear the responsibility, and 1 was fired because they tried to find something to blackmail Zoeandra with but failed. Two were really good and were with Zoeandra for a few years before Zoeandra prompted them to run one of her companies. But Wilda was different. She was with Zoeandra for the last five years and has gone beyond what was called for. Wilda arrived early to pick up Zoeandra from her home every day. Sometimes even coming in to make breakfast for Zoeandra before bringing her to work. She always made sure to map out a schedule for Zoeandra so that she was always on time and had lunch on time. Sometimes, making Zoeandra a homemade lunch. Zoeandra had to admit she loved Wilda's homemade chicken strips. When Zoeandra would get overly stressed, Wilda knew what to say or do to calm her down. Only once, two years ago, Zoeandra had a massive tantrum. One were she was threatening to fire everyone, which caused Wilda to force Zoeandra over her lap for a spanking before sticking her nose in the corner for a timeout. 30 minutes later, Zoeandra had calmed down and apologized to Wilda for how she was acting. But threatened to fire her if she ever spanked her again. Finally, the big thing Zoeandra loves about Wilda is that she always takes care of her. Somedays, Zoeandra would be so swamped with work that she would stay extra hours and tell her old secretaries to go home and call a cab. She worked so late on those nights that she slept in her office. But with Wilda, when Zoeandra told her that, she clocked out and waited for Zoeandra to finish her work before taking the small woman home. On days like that, Zoeandra would be so exhausted that Wilda would take her inside and put her to bed at first. Then, she eventually started ensuring Zoeandra ate something, showered, and was put to bed. As soon as Zoeandra found out Wilda had done that on her own time, Zoeandra tried to promote her right then. But she turned it down. "If I were to leave, who would care for you when you need it?" Wilda asked. So instead, Zoeandra offered to make Wilda her personal assistant who would help her with anything she needed at work and out and offered an excellent wage. And despite the occasional slip where Wilda would slightly baby Zoeandra, she was very respectful to Zoeandra. "WILDA! Where is document 3327!?" Zoeandra yelled as she frantically searched her desk for the document. Wilda didn't say anything as she walked beside the desk, lifted a piece of paper that fell to the floor, and set it on the desk. "T-thank you," Zoeandra said as she looked at the paper and started to sign it. While leaning forward, Wilda went behind her boss and pulled the back of her diaper to check her. "Wilda!" Zoeandra yelled and blushed as she was checked. "Zoeandra, how long have you been in a dirty diaper?" Wilda asked her boss with no reaction. When Zoeandra gets focused on her work, she forgets her diaper and could be messy for hours without knowing. Zoeandra just blushed and turned away from Wilda. So Wilda picked up Zoeandra and laid her on the changing table in the office. "How much work do you have left?" Wilda asked as she removed the diaper and started cleaning the mess. "I'm almost done. Just need another 20 minutes." Zoeandra told her as she let Wilda do her job. "Good, because this weekend is your "Relax" weekend," Wilda told Zoeandra, who couldn't help but smile as the new diaper was taped on. As soon as she sat back at her desk, Zoeandra quickly finished her work in 12 minutes to get out as soon as possible. As Zoeandra and Wilda walked through the company, most greeted her with the utmost respect she deserved. Some even approach their little boss and ask for advice or help. "Hey boss, how many Preass does it take to screw in a light bulb?" one of her employees asked as Zoeandra walked past. "none. We cry until someone does it for us." Zoeandra finished the joke. This was the type of environment Zoeandra had wanted for her company. One where everyone joked and respected one another. Were anyone could make a simple joke without offending someone. And where people were reworded not on what they looked like but their work ethic. But as Wilda opened the back door to her car for Zoeandra to walk into, she also knew there was more to her company than the happy parts. As Wilda began to drive, Zoeandra grabbed her black "special" bag she had Wilda hold onto. Inside was everything she needed for her weekend. Owning a big company has been one of the most stressful things in Zoeandra's life. Hence, she needed someone constantly around for the times it just gets too much, and Zoeandra starts freaking out and needs someone to calm her down. But it is not enough even with Wilda and all the help she gives Zoeandra. Zoeandra needed something to help relieve her stress. Something that didn't involve alcohol or expensive spa weekends. But Zoeandra couldn't think of anything until Wilda suggested something two years ago. As Wilda pulled up to a nice-sized apartment building, she got out and opened the back door of her car. "You ready, sweetheart?" Wilda asked. "Yes, mommy!" Zoey cheered as a little girl in a bright yellow sundress, and pigtails exited the car with her Princess backpack. As Zoey took Mommy's hand, they walked to the door and knocked. A few moments later, a young man about 19 came over and opened the door. "BIG BROTHER!" Zoey yelled as she rushed over and hugged the boy's leg. "HEY ZOEY!" the boy said happily as he picked up the small girl and gave her a hug. "You ready for this weekend?" "YA!" Zoey cheered, and Wilda giggled. "Remember, she needs a nap here soon," Wilda told her nephew. "And don't go overboard on the snacks this time." "AWWWW!" Zoey pouted upon hearing that but giggled as Wilda kissed her cheek. "You be good now, you hear?" Wilda told Zoey before giving her nephew a kiss as well. "You too, I'll return to pick her up on Monday. Ok, Danny?" "Don't worry, she's in good hands," Danny told his aunt. "Bye! Love you!" Zoey yelled as she waved goodbye to Wilda before she was brought inside. Two years ago, Zoeandra had to throw a big dinner party for people who would possibly work with her company. But some complications happened at Zoeandra's house, so she couldn't hold it there, and no restraint could squeeze them in on short notice. Thankfully, Wilda offered her home for the night, and the party went off without a hitch. But Zoeandra soon found herself bored as most of the conversations were about work, and many of the guests tended to talk with each other. Because of Zoeandra's size, most forgot she was even there. So, bored out of her mind, she decided to look around Wilda's house. It was a lovely house; this was the first time Zoeandra had been there despite knowing Wilda for years. Zoeandra noticed a slightly opened door with stairs leading down and strange noises from below. Zoeandra was curious and went down. That's when she met Danny for the first time. "Oh, didn't know someone was bringing a kid here," Danny said, not knowing who Zoeandra was. "Is it getting boring up there?" He was 17 and sitting on his bed playing video games. His aunt asked him to stay down here while the party was happening. His aunt already got him a pizza and snacks to keep him occupied while the party was upstairs. "Would you like to have a turn?" Danny offered his controller to Zoeandra. Zoeandra took the controller and thought, why not. Play a game for a few minutes, then return to the party. Wilda went looking for her boss 20 minutes later to find her eating a slice of pizza and yelling at Danny to do something on the game before cheering as they beat a level. Wilda couldn't help but smile as she knew Zoeandra hadn't had fun upstairs and didn't mind letting her boss stay down there with her nephew to have some fun. Wilda even returned and gave Zoeandra a sippy cup of juice before returning and dealing with the party. No one else seemed to notice Zoeandra was gone, and as everyone left around 11, Wilda went back to check on her nephew and boss. Her son was still playing his game at a quieter volume while Zoeandra was passed out on his lap. "Hi, Aunt Wilda. Are her parents picking her up?" Danny quietly asked as he helped his aunt lift the sleeping girl up. "No, she's going to stay the night here with us," Wilda whispered. "Why?" "She's my boss," Wilda told her nephew with a small smile as Zoeandra stuck her thumb into her mouth and started sucking on it. Zoeandra woke up the following day wearing one of Wilda's smaller t-shirts as a nightshirt in a guest room. Beside her were her clothes from the night before, already cleaned and folded by the bed. When Zoeandra saw Wilda, Wilda asked how her night was. "That was probably the best night's sleep I've had in a long time," Zoeandra told her. Upon hearing that, Wilda asked her boss if she would like to make a new business deal. Zoeandra didn't want a "mommy" or "daddy." No one would ever replace her real ones. She was only okay with a caregiver because she was still paying for them. And each one had to show Zoeandra with at least a decent form of respect. But after that night, Wilda figured out the best way for Zoeandra to relax was to turn off her Adult side and not worry about anything. But if she didn't want a mommy or daddy to look after her, what could she use to help? Why not a big brother? Danny was already about to start college, and his part-time job sucked. Wilda was worried her nephew wouldn't be able to concentrate on his school work and have his part-time job that gave him crazy hours. So Wilda offered Zoeandra and Danny a beneficial business relationship. Danny would be Zoeandra's "big brother" every other weekend for a set amount of money. Here, she could play, be a kid, and relax for two and a half days. At the same time, Danny got paid and could focus on his schooling. At first, neither liked the idea. It just seemed too weird. But after a while, it just clicked for them, and it became a natural thing. Every other weekend, Zoeandra would become Zoey and stay with her "big brother." "Ok, Zoey, you ready for your nap?" Danny asked as he walked into the living room. "NO!" Zoey yelled, not wanting a nap yet. She wasn't even sleepy yet! "Are you sure?" Danny asked. "Ya! I don't want to nap!" Zoey told him. Danny knew just what to do. "Then why not a story real quick? Then we can play some games." Danny offered. "Ok!" Zoey told him. She really did enjoy being read, too. Still carrying Zoey, Danny grabbed a book and sat on his couch as Zoey nestled right in to enjoy the book. Danny turned on some lullaby music before he started to read the book. Zoey was none the wiser as she slowly started to nod off from the music and story. Soon she was asleep in Danny's lab, covered up and sucking on a pacifier while Danny got on his laptop and worked on a school project. About an hour and a half later, Danny gently shook Zoey up. "Hi, sleepy head. How was your nap?" Danny asked. "Cood," Zoey said behind her pacifier as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Danny lifted her up and took her into the kitchen, where he sat her on a booster seat and got her a snack. After having some chocolate pudding and making a little mess on her face that Danny had to clean up, it was time to play. Zoey had her own toy box, where she got a few toys. But many were stuff Danny and Wilda had gotten her to play with. But what Zoey liked was to play on Danny's PlayStation. She loved playing Persona 5 and Kingdom Hearts 2. Or just sitting next to Danny as he played one of his games and just watched. This time, she watched him play a game about giant robots fighting each other. Gundam Braker, something or other... After 2 hours, Danny made a simple mac and cheese dinner with hotdogs before checking Zoey's diaper. She was very wet. "Zoey, why didn't you tell me you were wet?" Danny asked. Zoey just blushed and looked ashamed. She was having fun and didn't notice. "I sowey," Zoey told him. Danny just signed. "It's ok. At least it's time for a bath now," Danny told her. Hearing this made Zoey's eyes light up. She lived bath time! Dan didn't need to say more as Zoey was already getting undressed and bouncing excitedly for her bath. Dan laughed as he started the bath and added some bubbles to it. The tub wasn't even full when Zoey jumped in and splashed Dan. HEY!" Dan yelled playfully as he splashed her back. Zoeandra didn't have a tub at her house, just a shower (specially made for her), so she never understood how fun a bath was. That is until Zoey's first bath, where she could play in the water with her toys. Part of her wanted to get her own bath for her house but decided against it as it would take away from the magical feel of coming here. Dan helped get Zoey clean before he rinsed her off and let her play in the water for a while. When it was time to get out, Dan had to forcefully drain the lukewarm water to get her out, much to her pouty displeasure. Next came the thick nighttime diaper and pink bunny footie pajamas. Zoey giggled as she hopped around in her bunny outfit and played for another hour before it was time for bed. Dany cradled the little girl in his arms on the couch while one hand held a bottle of warm milk and the other a book. This time, Zoey managed to stay awake through the book and bottle, but her eyes were very heavy. "You sleepy?" Dan asked. "nowww." Zoey slurred sleepily as she rubbed her eyes, trying to stay awake. Dan picked her up and patted her back as he walked her into his bedroom. Zoeandra had to use a special crib because she rolled around in her sleep so much, but Zoey didn't have a crib here. His apartment was too small for one. As Zoey let out a burp, Dan placed the little girl on his bed by the side of the wall and put a long pillow between her and him. Dan was a little worried at first about sharing a bed with her, but after some time, they both liked it, and Dan found it cute some mornings when he would wake up to Zoey hugging him in her sleep as she rolled over the pillow. As Dan got into bed, he gave Zoey a good night kiss on her head. "Good night, baby sis," Danny said as he turned out the light. “Coo mifh bwig bworfer!” Zoey told him, “I wove u.”

Time for another one-shot story while I try to figure out which story to continue working on. (Yes, I have more than one story competing for space in my head.) This one was written for a contest where, if I remember correctly, the theme was "The first time". ---------------------------- Normal "I still don't see why we couldn't just take a plane?" Tamsin looked out of the window at the melting snow and slushy puddles covering the endless flat fields. "I mean, we could be sitting on a balcony, having drinks in the warm evening breeze. Instead, we're driving through flat, boring, featureless, snowy, boring fields." "You said boring twice." Stefan sipped his coffee and put his travel mug back in the cup-holder on the inside of the door. "I know. That's how boring they are. And the perfectly straight roads as well? Everything's looked the same for hours now. It's like we haven't moved at all. Are you sure we're not going in circles?" "God Tammy, sometimes you really sound like a five-year-old. 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'" "Yeah, well, who goes on a cross-country road trip in February?" "Come on. We've been stuck inside for two years. It'll be good to just see new faces. Besides, you've seen the videos of people going apeshit on planes." "Statistically speaking, those morons are rare. And we would see plenty of new faces in New Orleans. Especially if we had several extra days that we didn't have to spend driving there all the way from Mississauga. I think you just like to drive." "Remind me again, how does scissors beat rock? Are they some kind of unbreakable super-scissors?" Tamsin grunted and turned to look out the window again. "And you call me childish." Another minute or so passed, then Stefan put a hand on Tamsin's knee and slowly slid it up her thigh. "It's only two days babe," he said conciliatorily . "We'll still have plenty of time before the Mardi Gras parades." He tugged Tamsin's t-shirt out of the waistband of her pants and slipped his hand under it. "Are you that eager to flash your boobs for beads?" Tamsin smacked Stefan's wrist. "Eyes on the road Tit Boy." "Ooh, that's definitely my new superhero name." Tamsin gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. She reached for the GPS and pinched the map to zoom out. The map stayed the same. A single, perfectly straight road. She checked the directions. The next item on the list was a left turn in 62 miles. "Please tell me you're not planning on driving through the night." Stefan shook his head. "Nah. I pulled an all-nighter last night so I'm already dead tired. I figure the next motel we see, we'll stop for the night. That sound OK with you?" "Yeah," Tamsin said, somewhat mollified at the prospect of any change from the non-changing scenery outside the window. She wanted to lie down. She wanted a bathroom that didn't look like a crime scene or had a hubcap hanging from the key. And most of all, she wanted decent wifi or mobile coverage so she could watch a movie or two. She pulled out her phone and opened the map, zooming out and scrolling south. "Looks like there's a small town coming up in fifteen miles or so. Normal." "Of course it's normal. America isn't some kind of post-apocalyptical wasteland. There are little towns everywhere." "No, I meant it's called Normal. Normal, Indiana." "That's a bit redundant. Isn't Indiana like... the blandest of the states. I think I read somewhere that there are places that have legally banned hot sauce." "Can you imagine their Mardi Gras parades?" Tamsin grinned. "I'm trying not to." A little later, they passed the green sign marking the Normal city limits and Tamsin chuckled. "What's so funny?" Stefan asked as he slowed down to the posted speed limit. "Somebody had spraypainted 'Ab' in front of the name on the sign." "Abnormal? That sounds like a more fun place." Tamsin sighed. "Yeah." ~~~ After another couple of minutes a flickering sign appeared from behind a couple of trees. If it hadn't been for the dusk, they probably wouldn't even have noticed it. "Motel!" Tamsin exclaimed. "I see it," Stefan said and slowed down. He turned smoothly in to the parking lot in front of the motel. Tamsin opened the door, shivering as the cold wind hit her. She grabbed her jacket from the back seat and quickly put it on. Then she stretched, working out the kinks in her back. "You wanna get us a room while I get the bags out of the car?" Stefan was still sitting in the driver's seat with the door open. "Sure." Tamsin grabbed her little overnight backpack and headed for the front desk, weaving between the slushy puddles. There was nobody behind the counter in the reception, but the little bell that jingled cheerfully as Tamsin entered prompted somebody in the back room to call out. "Just a moment..." A girl that couldn't possibly be more than sixteen emerged only seconds later. She was dressed like a stereotypical goth girl, which clashed with her cheerful expression and the big, pink, playboy-style bunny ears on her hair band. "Yeah?" the girl asked. "We'd like a room. One night." The girl jiggled the mouse next to the computer and typed in a password. "Okay? Double bed or two singles?" "Two singles." The girl nodded and tapped another couple of keys. "That'll be fifty dollars. Would you like the extra hospitality package?" "What's that?" "We pick up breakfast for you from the diner down the road and bring it to your room at the time of your choosing. Well, between seven and ten that is. Plus there's some complimentary snacks and soft drinks. No alcohol though. We're not allowed to give that away. It's only twenty extra bucks." Tamsin thought about it for a few moments. It would be nice to actually have breakfast in bed before going back on the road. "Sure," she said. The girl started looking through a stack of papers, pulling out a laminated menu and handing it to Tamsin. "Great, you just figure out which breakfasts you want and I'll handle the rest." She returned her attention to the computer. "Name?" "Um, Tamsin Haze," Tamsin said absent-mindedly as she studied the menu. "OK." The girl typed some more. "I'm Isabel by the way. I'm going to need a credit card for the safety deposit." Tamsin looked up. "Are you even old enough to be handling this sort of thing?" she asked, a little hesitant about handing over her credit card to a kid. Isabel gave an exasperated sigh. "For crying out loud. Why does everybody think I'm just a kid? I'm twenty-two for god's sake." Tamsin stared back. Disbelief obvious on her face. "What?!? Wanna see my license or something?" "Nonononono." Tamsin held up her hands. "I believe you." "Good, 'cause it's really annoying. It's not my fault I have a babyface." She took a breath to calm herself down. Tamsin found her credit card and handed it to Isabel. She entered whatever details she needed into the computer and handed the card back to Tamsin. "OK, breakfast. Anything tickle your fancy?" Tamsin looked back at the menu. "I think maybe just the scrambled eggs and sausages." "Good choice. They're delicious. And your boyfriend?" "Stefan's a sucker for oatmeal. With bacon." "Interesting combination. And when did you want it?" "Eight, I guess. We want to get started early tomorrow." Isabel nodded and wrote it all down on a post-it note. Then she stuck it to the side of the screen. "You're in room number 10. That's up the stairs and all the way at the end." She handed Tamsin a key. "And if there's anything else, just dial 9 on the phone." "Thanks." Tamsin grabbed her backpack and went outside where she found Stefan having a cigarette. "I thought you said you quit." "I have," he said defensively. "Mostly. But sometimes I still need one." Tamsin sighed. "You're just a big bundle of bad habits, aren't you?" "And that's why you love me." "Come on. They put us in number 10. Upstairs." Tamsin picked up one of the bags and headed for the stairs. Stefan stubbed out the cigarette and followed her. The room was pretty much the same as any other motel room Tamsin had ever seen. There were two beds on one side of the room, and on the opposite side was a small table with a couple of chairs and a low dresser with a small TV on top. There was a door at the back of the room that Tamsin assumed was the bathroom. She put the bag down. "I'm going to take a shower. If you find the mini-fridge, the snacks and drinks are free." "Free? Really?" "Well, they're 'complimentary'. Oh, and they're bringing us breakfast tomorrow morning." "Seriously? Niiiiice." Stefan grabbed the TV remote, sat down on the bed and began flipping through the channels. The bathroom was larger than Tamsin expected and remarkably clean. She quickly undressed and used the toilet before hopping in the shower. After a day stuck in the car, the cascade of hot water felt glorious. Tamsin could almost feel the stress melt away. She just stood there, letting the water pound against her skull, listening to the white noise it caused. Eventually she was brought out of her reverie by Stefan knocking on the bathroom door. "Hey, leave a little hot water for me." Tamsin turned off the water and grabbed one of the big towels on the shelf next to the shower. They were softer and fluffier than she expected. She quickly dried her short hair before wrapping it around herself. "All done," she announced as she opened the door. Stefan rushed past her and closed the door. She heard the toilet lid hit the cistern, followed by a groan and a disgustingly loud, wet farting sound. I guess showering wasn't the most important thing for him either. "You okay baby?" she asked the closed door. "Gas station hot dog." Tamsin found some clean underwear in her bag and put it on before stepping into a pair of sweatpants and pulling a t-shirt over her head. The TV flashed some kind of news programme intro, so Tamsin turned up the volume and sat down on the edge of the bed to see if anything important had happened while they were on the road. The news weren't exactly new, so Tamsin turned off the TV after a couple of minutes. She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. It was just as boring and uniform as the fields they had driven through the last couple of hours. "Stefan? I'm gonna go see if I can find something a little healthier than those little motel bags of mixed nuts. Do you want anything?" The groan that came from the bathroom told Tamsin all she needed to know. "I'll see if I can find you some Imodium or something, all right?" "Thanks." Tamsin changed out of sweatpants and put on some jeans before grabbing her jacket, phone and car keys. She pulled the zipper all the way up to ward off the cold wind as she walked down the stairs to the front desk. ~~~ Isabel was still sitting behind the front desk playing something on her phone when Tamsin came through the door. She tapped the screen and looked up at her. "Is there something wrong with the room?" she asked. Tamsin shook her head. "Nah; the room is fine. I was just wondering if there's a drugstore or something that's still open anywhere nearby. The only one I could find on Google maps looks like it closed three years ago." "Yeah. For some reason they don't update things here. Don't know why." Isabel thought for a moment. "There's one maybe a mile or so down the road." She looked at the clock on the wall. "I don't think they close for another hour or so." "Thanks." Tamsin turned to leave, then turned back again. "One more thing: What's with the 'Ab-normal'?" "What do you mean?" "On the sign at the city limits. Somebody put an 'Ab' in front of the name." "Ooooh, that. It's a long story." "Oh?" "Yeah. Back in '18 we had a bunch of religious whackos who managed to get themselves elected to the city council. Things got kind of... let's just say 'uptight', for a while. But it's better now." "Sooo, not such a long story after all." Isabel shrugged. "I guess not." "By the way, the liquor store on Google maps. Is that still open?" "The Hughes one? Yeah. Just don't let them trick you into trying their micro-brewed rye beer. It tastes like fermented socks." "Thanks for the warning," Tamsin said and walked outside again. The cold wind felt like it was blowing up the bottom of her jacket and she shivered as she zig-zagged between slushy puddles on her way to the car. Once inside, she started the engine and turned up the heat. The warm bloom of the seat warmers made Tamsin smile. It had always been one of her favourite things about cars in general. She couldn't understand why manufacturers didn't make seat-back heaters as well. Or armchairs with built-in seat warmers. After all, you should be allowed to have a nice warm chair in your living room and not just in your car. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, just enjoying the hot air and the warm seat for a few moments. Then she slowly drove out of the parking lot and down the road. ~~~ The drive to the drugstore struck Tamsin as a little strange. The streets were eerily empty. She had heard that a lot of smaller towns had had problems with young people leaving for the bigger cities, but driving through Normal was like being in a post-apocalyptic film; except there was less garbage and debris. And fewer mutant zombies. At least she hoped there weren't any. "Well, my trusty Pip-boy," Tamsin said to no-one in particular. "Any deathclaws around? Super-mutants? Fascists in power-armour?" She glanced at the GPS which didn't show any flashing red dots indicating danger. "I guess not." Almost every second building Tamsin passed had 'for sale' or 'closed' signs in the windows, so when she saw the cheerily lit windows of the drugstore the contrast was rather jarring. Tamsin pulled over and parked at the curb. She sat still for a few moments, steeling herself before opening the door and getting out. There was Christmas music playing on the speakers inside the almost empty drugstore. A lady that looked like she was pushing a hundred was wandering aimlessly up and down one of the aisles, and sitting behind the cash register was a middle-aged man that was so fat he was literally lemon-shaped. He was wearing a Christmas sweater the size of a tent and had a shock of white hair that would have made Einstein proud. When he noticed Tamsin he put down the comic book he was reading and smiled broadly. "Can I help you?" he asked in a comically squeaky voice that seemed so out of place that Tamsin almost began giggling. He almost sounded like he'd been breathing helium. "Yeah, where's the Imodium?" Tamsin looked around. "Over there, in the corner." The man pointed. Tamsin found the pills and went back to the register. She couldn't see any snacks that looked particularly tempting, but she grabbed a couple of granola bars from a display on the counter. "Anything else?" the man squeaked. Tamsin was tempted to ask if he had any helium, but decided to be nice, and shook her head. "No. That's all. Unless you have any postcards with the town name on or something like that." "Sorry, no." Tamsin shrugged. Then she looked up at the loudspeaker playing Jingle Bells. "You must really like Christmas," she remarked casually. "Yeah I guess. It's not actually Christmas though. It's the waiting for Christmas. I just love the feeling of something wonderful being just barely out of reach." "Hmm. Holiday-edging," Tamsin muttered to herself and nodded. "Huh? What was that?" the man asked. "Oh nothing. Just thinking out loud. Bad habit." Tamsin paid and turned to leave. "Merry not-yet-Christmas." The man chuckled and nodded. "I guess that's one way of saying it." Tamsin's next stop was the liquor store where she looked around their measly selection before ending up buying a bottle of Bacardi and a couple of cans of Coke. Booze in hand, Tamsin headed back to the car. The temperature was plummeting and wind was picking up. The jacket was not helping much. It was meant for a different Ana; Louisi, not Indi. Tamsin turned the heaters up to max the moment she was in the car and sat there shivering as the air slowly warmed up and her butt was thawed out. She was used to the winters being cold, but this wind was chilling her to the bone. ~~~ When Tamsin pulled in to the parking lot of the motel, she saw Isabel waving at her from the front office. She parked as close as she could and hurried inside. "Damn! Is it always this cold?" Tamsin said as she closed the door and tried to find the warm air from the heater. "More or less. Anyway, we forgot to restock the fridge in your room." Isabel held out a plastic bag. "I figured I shouldn't just go up there, just in case. I've walked in on enough people doing stuff in... well, elsewhere. I don't need it here." "Okay." Tamsin tried to sound nonchalant. She put the rum and Coke and her other supplies in the bag without looking inside. "Thanks." Tamsin paused for a moment before opening the door. "By the way, where is that empty fridge." Isabel chuckled. "They did kind of hide it, didn't they. It's in the night stand between the beds." "Thanks." "All part of the service," Isabel said cheerily. "Have a good night." ~~~ Tamsin jogged up the stairs to the room. When she opened the door, she was met by a blast of warm air. Stefan was sitting crosslegged on the bed, wrapped in the duvet and watching TV. "Feeling better?" Tamsin put the plastic bag down on the bed and began removing its contents. There were some small bags of mixed nuts, crisps and candy, a couple of bottles of water and a four or five cans of various soft drinks. Tamsin found a can of ginger ale and handed it to Stefan who grimaced when he saw what it was. "I think I read somewhere that ginger helps against an upset stomach." "Yeah, but it tastes like a wet mop." "Oh stop being such a baby and take your medicine." Tamsin handed him the Imodium. Stefan popped one of the pills in his mouth and washed it down with some water. "At least they're not suppositories." "Um, they were." Stefan's eyes widened. "Hah! I got you!" "No you didn't," Stefan protested. "Oh yes I did. I got you." Tamsin grinned and took a sip of water. She kicked off her shoes and sat down on the bed. "Do you have any room under there?" she tugged at the duvet. Stefan lifted the edge. Just then, there was a hollow, gurgling sound. Stefan jumped off the bed and sprinted to the bathroom. "Do you want a drink? I'm making Cuba Libres. Without the lime, I'm afraid." "Why not," came the weak reply through the door. "It's not like my stomach can get any worse." There was a groan and a farting sound. Tamsin tried to not hear it. If Stefan was going to keep making those sounds, she was going to need those drinks. ~~~ A couple of hours, and about two thirds of the bottle of rum later, Tamsin was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. The flickering lights from the motel sign and weird patterns as it filtered through the crack between the curtains. Stefan was lying on his stomach, yet still managing to snore. "How come you're drunker than me?" Tamsin slurred. "I drank..." she studied the bottle, "waaaay more than you." Tamsin waited for Stefan to respond. When he didn't, she continued. "Tha'ss 'cause you're a fuckin' lightweight." She nodded to the empty room for emphasis. "And I," she paused as she laboured to sit up, nearly rolling off the bed in the process, "I have a liver of steel." Sitting up made Tamsin feel a rapidly growing pressure on her bladder. "Don' go 'nywhere," she mumbled to Stefan and rose. She walked unsteadily to the bathroom. The plastic seat felt ice cold against Tamsin's thighs and she shivered. She wondered why they didn't have seat warmers for toilet seats, like they did for car seats. When she bent down to pull up her sweatpants, Tamsin almost fell over. Although that was because the floor was no longer level and seemed to be moving ever so slowly. After several attempts to tie the drawstring, she gave up and let the pants fall to the floor again. Then she carefully stepped out of them. She didn't need them anyway. The bed was nice and warm. Tamsin stumbled back to bed and crawled onto it. The duvet was still warm, so she wrapped herself in it and closed her eyes. It really was a very comfy bed and she didn't want to leave it. She looked over at the TV. The sound was off, but it was showing what looked like a mother reading bedtime stories to a toddler. Tamsin yawned. She gave the bottle of rum another look. "D'you mind if I have some more?" Tamsin whispered. Again, Stefan's only reply was a soft snore. "Tha's what I thought." Tamsin looked around for her glass, but couldn't see it, so she just fumbled the cap off and took a healthy swig. When the subsequent coughing fit ended, she wheezed: "OK, no drinking rum neat." She took a mouthful of Coke and added a sip of rum before swallowing. "Ahh. Much better," she concluded. The ad on the TV was over and they continued some old, black-and-white horror movie featuring what looked like a vampire in a flimsy nightgown. Tamsin wanted to turn it off, but couldn't be bothered to look for the remote. She was just so sleepy. And the pillow was so soft. And everything was just warm and fuzzy. She had another mouth-mixed drink. ~~~ Tamsin was woken by an icy draught. She opened her eyes. Everything was still pleasantly fuzzy. The TV was showing middle-of-the-night infomercials. Tamsin turned over to see where the draught was coming from. The door was open and the vampire from the horror movie was standing in the open doorway. Mist was rolling in around her legs to cover the floor. She sort of floated forward across the room, the door closing silently behind her. When she came closer, Tamsin realised it wasn't a B-movie bloodsucker, but Isabel from the front desk. Tamsin tried to sit up, but she was all tangled up in the duvet. "Wha-" "Shh," Isabel said and pressed a finger to Tamsin's lips. "It's all right. You called me." "I did?" Tamsin couldn't remember doing that. "Yeah." Isabel brushed Tamsin's hair out of her eyes. "You didn't make a lot of sense, but you said you wanted a cuddle and a story." "A story?" "Mm-hmm." "And a cuddle?" "Mm-hmm." Isabel nodded. "Why'd I do tha'?" Tamsin asked. Isabel sat down next to her. She seemed a lot larger now than when she had been sitting behind the front desk. "I don't know. You sounded pretty drunk." Tamsin giggled. "I think I'm still pretty drunk." "I think so too." Tamsin wriggled closer to Isabel. "You're so nice and soft," she mumbled. "Aww, thank you. And you're an adorable little baby." "And is mommy going to tell her baby a story?" "Of course she is. But first we have to make sure that little Baby Tammy is ready for bedtime, don't we?" "Yeah, okay." "That's a good girl." Isabel stroked Tamsin's hair. "Did you brush your teeth?" she asked. "Mm-hmm," Tamsin lied. "And did you go pee-pee?" Tamsin smiled at the absurdity of the situation. "Yeah." "And you put on your jammies?" "Uh-huh." "Really? I don't think so. Let's see." Isabel peeled the duvet off Tamsin, exposing her t-shirt and panties. "Big-girl panties?" Isabel ran a hand over the thin silky fabric struggling not to creep up Tamsin's butt crack. "Big girls don't need bedtime stories." "Aww." Tamsin pouted. "Maybe mommy's little girl should stop playing dress-up and get into her little-girl jammies?" "And then story-time?" "Yes Tammy." Tamsin rolled over on her back while Isabel knelt next to her legs. Then she wriggled her hips to slide the panties off. Isabel helped get them all the way down her legs. Then Isabel grabbed Tamsin's legs and lifted them onto her shoulder, lifting her hips off the mattress. There was a crinkling sound and Tamsin tried to see what Isabel was doing, but her legs were in the way. Isabel slid Tamsin's legs off her shoulder, lowering her butt again. Instead of feeling the soft cotton sheets against her butt, there was something that felt a little like stiff tissue paper. Isabel spread Tamsin's legs and pulled something up between them. That's when she realised what it was. "A diaper?" Tamsin began wiggling to get away from the papery touch of the diaper against her crotch. "Shh," Isabel said. She put a hand on Tamsin's hip. "It's OK. I know how little girls have accidents sometimes." "But...but..." Tamsin was struggling to form the right words. "And we wouldn't want to ruin the nice hotel bed, now would we?" "But-" "Would we?" Isabel asked and pressed down on Tamsin's hip. "No," Tamsin admitted meekly. "Good. Now lie still so you don't wake him up." Isabel nodded towards Stefan who was still sleeping soundly only feet away. "This is so weird," Tamsin whispered. Isabel taped the diaper in place. "It's not weird. A lot of little girls have accidents," she said reassuringly, patting the smooth plastic. "There. Much better. Don't you agree?" "I guess," Tamsin said, running her hand over the diaper. It felt strange to be wearing something this thick. She couldn't even feel her hand through it. Isabel sat down at the head of the bed and spread the duvet out across her lap. "OK Tammy. Snuggle up." Tamsin crawled onto Isabel's lap and allowed herself to be wrapped up in the duvet. Isabel wrapped her arms around her and held her close. "You ready for your story?" Isabel asked. "Yeah." Tamsin almost felt like she should be sucking her thumb, but both her arms were trapped in her tightly wrapped cocoon. Everything just felt so perfect and warm and soft and fuzzy. "Once upon a time," Isabel began," there was a little town. Waaaaay out in the middle of nowhere. The people living in the town were good people. Most of them were, anyway. They tried let people do what they wanted and not make a big fuss about things. But then, one day, some very mean men decided that they wanted to run the little town. And they wanted to decide what everybody else was allowed to do and say and think." "Tha's no' very nice," Tamsin mumbled from inside the duvet. "No it wasn't," Isabel agreed. "The meanies tricked a lot of the people in the town into letting them be in charge. At first they weren't so bad. Sure, they said some mean things, but most people didn't take them very seriously. But then they made a rule that said that nobody was allowed to do things differently from them. And if somebody broke that rule, they were sent to a special house-" "Like a prison?" Tamsin interrupted. "No, not exactly a prison. More like a special hospital. Anyway, at first there were only a few people that were sent away. But every now and then, the meanies would make a new rule, and a few more people were sent away. And then a few more. And a few more." "Oh no," Tamsin whispered. Isabel brushed Tamsin's hair away from her forehead. "Don't worry. It gets better." "Promise?" "I promise. So, this special hospital. The doctors there weren't very nice either, but with every new rule, there were more and more people there. And one day, in the middle of winter, maybe a week before Christmas, the people in the hospital realised something. There were so many of them in there that there were more of them than there were people left outside. There was a big fight, and they locked the mean doctors and the other meanies who had been running the town in the special hospital. And then they went back to their homes in the town and lived their lives without those big meanies bossing them around and telling them how to live their own lives." "And they lived happily ever after?" Tamsin asked and yawned. "Yeah, they did. And they all promised each other not to let the meanies make the rules again." Tamsin began wriggling, trying to get out of the duvet wrapped around her. "What is it Tammy?" Isabel asked. "Tell mommy what's the matter." "I... I have to go to the bathroom." Isabel looked around at the empty cans and water bottles. "I'm not surprised. You've drunk a lot." She picked up the almost empty bottle of rum. "And not just little-girl drinks either." "Yeah. I'm drunk," Tamsin said, almost sounding proud of it. "Well, you just let it go. Mommy will change you afterwards." "Whaddaya mean?" Tamsin was having a little trouble processing what Isabel said. "There's no need to get up. You just go ahead and pee your diaper. Mommy will change it later." "Are you serious?" Tamsin tried to sit up, but failed. "Of course sweetie. Why else did you think you're wearing diapers?" "But... You said they were in case of accidents." "Yes and don't you think little baby Tammy is about to have an accident?" "I'm not a baby," Tamsin protested. "Sure you are. You're my little, diapered baby girl." Isabel pulled Tamsin up so she was sitting on her lap rather than lying on it. The movement and new position increased the pressure on Tamsin's bladder and she gasped as a spurt of urine escaped her. "What is it?" "I... I peed," Tamsin said and looked away in embarrassment. "It's OK," Isabel reassured her and slowly ran her fingers through Tamsin's hair. "Just let it all out. Mommy's here." "I can't," Tamsin said and shook her head. But that little leak had only been the first pebble in the avalanche. Within seconds the pressure was unbearable again, and another spurt escaped, only to be immediately absorbed by the diaper. "This is so gross," Tamsin complained. "Shh-shh-shh. It's perfectly normal, and mommy doesn't think any less of her precious baby. Just let it all out." Isabel began to slowly rock Tamsin back and forth. The third little leak turned out to be not so little. "I didn't know your lap had a seat warmer." Tamsin giggled. "So it's not so gross any more?" "It's like a big, wet glove. But kind of nice." Tamsin snuggled closer to Isabel. Then she closed her eyes and let out one last little trickle. "I did it again," Tamsin whispered mischievously. "That's a good girl," Isabel said and kissed Tamsin's forehead. "You just get some sleep. Mommy's here for you." "Tha's good, 'cause I think I'm sleepy." Tamsin's eyelids just felt so heavy. And the duvet was so warm and comfy. And Isabel smelled so good. ~~~ The morning light streaming in through the window combined with a pounding headache woke Tamsin up. She peered out from under her duvet and instantly regretted it after a faceful of sunshine. Gradually, the rest of her brain came online. She had to pee. Badly. Not a problem. That's why I have a diap- Tamsin suddenly realised she was not wearing a diaper. In fact, she was only wearing a t-shirt. Her bladder pressure overrode her headache and she rolled out of bed and ran to the bathroom. As she sat there, feeling sorry for herself, she bent down to pick up the sweat pants and panties that were lying in a heap on the floor. "No more rum on an empty stomach," Tamsin said to herself. "The fun dreams aren't worth the headache." Ten minutes and a shower later, Tamsin emerged from the bathroom to get her toothbrush and the ibuprofen from her bags. Stefan was still face-down on the bed. Tamsin nudged him awake "Five more minutes mom," Stefan mumbled and buried his head under the pillow. "Come on Stefan, time to get up." "It's that late already?" Stefan sat up and yawned. "God, that's the best night's sleep I've had in ages. When Tamsin re-emerged from the bathroom with her hair dried and the fuzz removed from her teeth, she found Stefan sitting on the edge of the bed, balancing a tray on his lap and eating oatmeal from a takeout container. "Breakfast?" "Mm-hmm. The girl at the front desk just dropped it off." He bit into a piece of bacon. "Oh that's good bacon." Tamsin checked out the other container. Thankfully the scrambled eggs and fried sausages were the perfect combination of bland and greasy to make Tamsin feel better. "Sorry I passed out so early, but I was just completely beat last night." Stefan pointed to the empty cans and bottles. "Looks like you have a bit to drink." "Yeah." Tamsin took another mouthful. "Hung over." "Sleep well?" Stefan held out a strip of bacon. "You just have to try this bacon?" Tamsin shook her head. "I'm good. I think I passed out in the middle of some cheesy, old horror movie." Tamsin stopped eating for a moment. "I had the weirdest dream." "Oh?" Stefan tried to look cool and just raise an eyebrow, but he just looked like he was having a stroke. "I don't wanna talk about it." "Oooo. That good, huh?" Stefan grinned suggestively. "No. That weird." "Fine, fine." Stefan held up his hands. They finished the rest of the breakfast and Tamsin packed their bags while Stefan took a shower. "So we'll be there by tonight then?" Tamsin asked through the bathroom door. "If everything goes according to plan, yeah." "Good. I want a warm balcony, spicy food and drinks with little paper umbrellas in them." "That's the plan," Stefan assured her as he turned off the shower. Tamsin checked the map on her phone. According to Google maps, they should be in New Orleans around half past ten. Knowing Stefan's driving, they could probably knock an hour off that estimate; or add two hours if he got caught speeding. Ten minutes later they were ready to leave. Tamsin pulled the zipper of her jacket all the way up to her chin as they opened the door. "What about the trays?" Stefan asked as he picked up the bags. "I don't know. I guess I can drop them off along with the key." Tamsin grabbed the breakfast trays before locking the door behind them. Tamsin headed for the front desk while Stefan went to load their bags into the car. She found Isabel half asleep in her chair and cleared her throat to wake her up. "Oh hi," she said and stretched. "I must have dozed off. Was the breakfast OK." "It was great. Thanks for bringing it up." Tamsin put the trays on the counter along with the key. "So, do I need to sign anything?" Isabel shook her head. "Nah. You prepaid, so unless you've broken anything or something like that, you're good." Isabel took the trays and put them on the desk behind her. "So, where to next?" "New Orleans." "Oh, that sounds like a fun trip." Tamsin nodded. "That's the plan." "I hear they have like an Anne Rice tour or something. I'd love to check that out one day." Isabel shrugged. "Anyway, if you come through here again on the way back, feel free to drop by again." "With a breakfast option like this, we just might," Tamsin said and turned to leave. "And maybe mommy will help you eat your breakfast in the morning." "What?!?" Tamsin whirled around. "Huh?" Isabel looked up from the computer. "Did you say something?" "Me? No." Isabel shook her head. "Okay," Tamsin said hesitantly and turned to leave again. She went back out into the cold and headed for the car As she got in, Stefan was just finishing entering the address of their hotel in New Orleans in the GPS. He started the engine and grinned. "Warm breezes, umbrella drinks and Mardi Gras, here we come!" he called out. As they left the parking lot, Tamsin saw Isabel watching them. She could have sworn there was just the faintest hint of a mischievous smile on her lips. She reached over and turned on the seat warmer. The bloom of warmth under her butt made her smile too.

This is a ridiculously overdue update, I hope to actually keep up with this story on a regular basis moving forward. Chapter 5 – Actions and Consequences Monica once more turned to leave and started to stuff the diaper into her bag only to be interrupted by Mrs. Simmons clearing her throat. “I think that it is best that you just carry that diaper on your way out of the building, as a bit of a reminder of your, err, transgressions. Plus, for as foul as your dirty diaper smells from inside of your bag, I would hate to think what horrors would be unleashed should you choose to open it. On another note, I found it rather odd that you not have chosen to place your – your friend’s pet’s diaper that is - into the diaper bag that was given to you with that creature. Clearly such an accessory was provided, otherwise where would you have procured even a single diaper and the assorted items needed to change that creature, much less the spare diaper that you so carelessly chose to leave on the bathroom floor. In any case, please be on your way, I have far more important things to spend my time on.” It was all Monica could do to exit the office and anteroom as quickly as she could, diaper in hand, doing her utmost to keep her face from turning a deep shade of red. She hurriedly made her way to the elevator banks, practically stabbing at the down button and mentally willing the car to come as fast as possible. Much to her chagrin, the elevator took far longer than anticipated due to the evening exodus of hundreds of employees from the large office tower. She was soon joined in her waiting by another employee. There was no way to conceal the diaper in her hand, and it took but a moment for it to become a conversation item. “You must have one lucky pet to be kept in high quality diapers like that. I know a few people who keep their pets in the bargain basement brands, the padding on the inside is barely thicker than the plastic shell. Personally, I don’t see the point, they must spend nearly as much on the additional diapers needed as if they were to just buy the quality ones in the first place. Plus, who would want to endure all those additional diaper changes? Just the time requirement alone seems like a huge hassle, don’t you think?” Monica did her best to fumble for an answer, trying to placate her overly friendly co-worker. “Yeah, I um agree, a pet should be kept in high quality diapers, for their own comfort as well as for the owner’s sake. Diaper changes are certainly my least favorite part of pet life, that is life with a pet in the house.” The response seemed to satisfy the woman and the two engaged in small talk as the elevator finally arrived and they made their way down to the bottom floor. As Monica exited the building to make her trip home, her phone binged with an all employee email sent from none other than Mrs. Simmons. “Good Evening Friends and Co-workers, I am pleased to advise you that the mystery of the diaper left in the third-floor washroom has been solved. Miss Monica Greene has come forth to claim the diaper as her own, thus resolving the matter. That being said, I would like to address the nature of the incident as a reminder to all employees. This company has very strict and rigid protocols regarding pets in the workplace, they exist for very good reasons including the safety of our employees, other pets, and any pet that is brought into this workplace, even on an emergency basis. We fully expect that these protocols are followed at all times and transgressions will be addressed as they are a serious concern. Miss Greene, perhaps unknowingly, violated nearly every rule in this regard and furthermore left a mess to be discovered while doing so. As a consequence of these actions, Miss Greene has willingly accepted some much befitting consequences that will serve as a long-lasting reminder of the importance of our rules. Miss Greene will be attending our pet-care facility this Wednesday as a resident, hopefully her tenure there will leave an impression that will not soon be forgotten. I would implore as many of you as possible to make your way down to witness her stay so that perhaps you too will be reminded of the importance of following the rules at all times. I am more than willing to open as many spots as needed o correct neglectful behaviour, and there is no reason that the stay needs to be just for one day. Have a Wonderful Evening. Regards, Mrs. Simmons” Monica was practically in tears upon reading the email, not only did the whole company now know that the diaper belonged to her, they also knew the details of her punishment. In fact, they had practically been ordered to come and witness it in person. She knew that this was a shame that she would never live down. Alone in her misery, she made her trip home, barely noticing the world around her. Upon her arrival home, she immediately noticed Samantha’s vehicle waiting in the driveway and a newfound wave of impending doom swept through her body, followed by an unexpected burst of warm urine into her already well-laden diaper. Knowing that the ensuing confrontation was inevitable, Monica begrudgingly made her way to the front door and proceeded to unlock it. As she made her way in, she began to call out the beginnings of an apology “Samantha, I’m so sorry, I was up--- mmmnnph”. Monica was abruptly cut off by and object being forcibly shoved into her mouth from behind, quickly followed by straps encompassing her head and a small but resounding clicking sound from the back of her head. Any efforts at further speech merely resulted in somewhat guttural sounds caused purely by the movement of air through the hollow cavity that made up the center of the device, her tongue being completely immobilized and thus unable to contribute to her speech. “You are done talking! I cannot believe the way you spoke to me today, even if it was through a voice message! I have been a most gracious friend to you and you repay with such impetuous and disrespectful behaviour. You are more like a child than and adult who was also pretending to play as a pet.” In another swift and fluid motion, Samantha reached out and fastened a collar tightly around Monica’s neck, unlike the one she had been wearing during her trial session, this one seemed to have a more significant girth and weight to it. “I thought that your impending punishment would be more than enough to help clear your mind and re-prioritize things in your life, but clearly I was wrong. No for starters, you can sit down right now and I will explain how the rest of this week is going to go.” Monica just stood there staring blankly, dumbfounded by the rage that she had brought out in her friend. In her daze she failed to notice Samantha removing a small device from her pocket and depressing a button on it. Flashes of blinding white light shot through Monica’s eyeballs as a jolt of searing pain shot through her body, rendering her muscles completely useless and dropping her to the floor in a useless heap and concurrently releasing the full contents of her bladder in an unending torrent of warmth. This proved to be far too much for her already overburdened diaper, causing streams of foul fluid to escape from not only the waistband, but also the gathers of both leg bands, leaving large, vile stains on her clothing. Monica simply lay on the floor, making weak whimpering sounds that were accompanied by copious amounts of drool from the opening of her gag. “That was just an example of how things are going to go for the rest of this week. Based on your behaviour today it is clear that you need a very large dose of an alternate reality to help you get your head screwed on straight. As you can most likely tell, I have placed you in a training collar, the level of shock provided can be adjusted based on your behaviour, rest assured that what you just experienced was far from the highest level. As what seems to exit your mouth is nearly as vile as what exits your lower regions, you will wear the gag the entire time you are in my presence, I do not desire to hear words from you. I will explain more in a bit, but for now, you absolutely reek and need to be cleaned, get moving.” Monica started to crawl to the rear of the house and to the stairs only to be blocked by Samantha. “Pet’s don’t get cleaned inside, they go to the washing station”. Dejectedly, Monica made her way to the back door and waited as Samantha opened it. She crawled over to the washing station and quickly obeyed a command to lay down, lest she receive another shock. She complied as Samantha, after donning a pair of gloves, stripped her of her befouled clothing, and in short order – the beyond overburdened diaper. Samantha quickly started to hose her down with the spray head from the washing station as Monica shirked back and shivered from the tepid water. Although most pet washing stations did have a connection to the household hot water system, the temperature was rarely set very high due to the higher body temperatures pets experienced due to the changes in their metabolic system. When Monica had paid for her system to be installed it had been pre-set in anticipation of her future pet, which clearly was not a comfortable temperature for an owner or any other human for that matter. With surprising efficiency Samantha quickly finished cleaning Monica’s every nook and cranny and shut the water off. What followed next was a literal whirlwind as the air-drying nozzle was brought out, the device was something like a vacuum cleaner hose differing only in the fact that cool air was blasted out of the end rather than being sucked in. A shivering Monica was then led to the side and strapped onto the obligatory changing table, completely immobile as Samantha continued with the final steps of the cleanup. “Now that you don’t stink nearly as much, I will explain how this week is going to go. You are going to get an immersive pet experience, you will not have any responsibilities, I will be your de-facto keeper. I have taken compassionate leave from work in order to accommodate this experience. You will still be expected to go to work and perform your duties as normal, I will be available at lunch time to take care of you as I see fit. I took some liberties and gained access to your personal and work communications, it would seem that you have already had yourself quite the day today, I’m sure that Wednesday will be quite the experience “. Samantha then proceeded to lead Monica into the house and into the kitchen and clipped a leash that was attached to the wall to her collar. Bowls of both food and water were set in front of her in rapid succession. “I expect that you will comply with eating your dinner, I am going to remove your gag, I expect complete verbal silence from you. I have added some medications to your food that should help your experience for the remainder of the week flow more smoothly”. All Monica could do was comply as the gag was removed, she begrudgingly pushed her face into the bowl of food and did her best lo lap as much of the vile mixture as she could into her mouth using her tongue. She was grateful at least that she had purchased wet foods and not dry kibble, although the end result was somewhat messier. She did her best to intersperse the food with water, although her efforts were somewhat of a mixture between sucking the water from the bowl and trying to lap it with her tongue. As she finished eating her face was abruptly wiped clean with a cloth. The leash was then unclipped from the tether on the wall and she was quickly pulled along by a sharp tug. “It’s time that we get you ready for bed, you will probably start to feel the effects of the medications fairly quickly. They are a sedative that is usually used for unruly pets, but the light dosage I gave you should make you more docile and adapt some of your bodily reactions to be more in tune with those of a pet. There was also a muscle relaxer in there as well as a fairly potent diuretic and laxative, I suspect that you will have no issues using your diapers this week”. Samantha led Monica up the stairs but rather than to her bedroom, to the spare room that had been prepared in anticipation of a future pet. With little delay, Monica found herself strapped into a pair of pet paws, and then her ankles attached to her thighs via straps intended to enforce four-legged movement. The finishing touch was yet another gag, this one however had a pacifier bulb rather than a hollow tube in the middle, once again forcing Monica into an involuntary silence. “Now I shouldn’t need to point this out, but you will be sleeping in the kennel this week, please hurry and get in so that I can relax for the night”. Knowing that there was no other choice – barring another shock – Monica dejectedly crawled into the rather tiny kennel on her hand – paws – and knees, hearing the door latch and lock before she even had a chance to try and turn around. As she struggled to get turned around in the tight confines of the cage, the lights in the room dimmed, not going completely off as it was well known that pets tended to sleep better with small amounts of light in the room. “Goodnight my pet, I know it may not seem it now but I hope that you will realize that this experience is for your own betterment.” With that, the door softly clicked closed leaving Monica alone in the dim light, accompanied only by the ever-present blink of the pet monitor, the crinkles of her diaper, and the gentle suckling of the pacifier bulb that came almost naturally. She curled her body into something akin to the fetal position, accompanied by a cacophony of rustling from the plastic shell of her diaper and then closed her eyes as the medicines from her supper started to take their tolls on her body.

Seconding honestly But man this was a real emotional roller coaster.. Excellently done

Sorry, it's a bit difficult if English isn't my first language. I sometimes get a feeling the wording isn't the best one, but I don't have any idea how to improve it.

Needs a bit of work from the proof reading point of view, but a diaper mystery is a welcome addition to the trove of stories on this site. Hope you are having fun writing it!

chapter 14 Despite it only being 9 p.m., Nathan went to bed. With the teen in bed, Nikkole picked up Ella and brought her into Rose's room. Rose's room was different from Nathans's. The room's farnichar was smaller for Rose's smaller size and was nice and clean. On the other side of the room was a nice-sized crib with a nightstand beside it, diapers inside, and a few picture frames of Rose's family. Nikkole walked over to Rose's crib, and Ella noticed it was slightly different from hers. It had laches on the inside for easy use. "Why does she have a crib?" Ella asked. "Because sweetie, Rose tosses and turns in her sleep," Nikkole told her. "It's one of the possible side effects of having Preas." "Oh, ya," Ella said as she looked around. She could see the diapers and the step stools everywhere. It was still impressive that someone like her could be a doctor but still be treated like a baby in her own home by using diapers and a crib. "She knows her limits," Nikkole said as she laid out a changing mat on Rose's bed before setting Ella on it. "But Rose decided she didn't want those to limit her on what she can do with her life." Nikkole removed Ella's diaper and got her baby cleaned. "And you can do that too," Nikkole told her baby as she lifted Ella's butt and slid a new fluffy diaper under her bottom. "Just because you have Preas, just because you're mommy's baby girl, you can still do whatever you want. And mommy will be there to help you." Just hearing that made Ella smile as the diaper was taped shut. "Ok, baby girl, it's time to go to sleep," Nikkole said as she pulled back a blanket from Rose's crib for Ella to crawl under. Ella did as she was told and got into bed. "Why do I have to sleep in Rose's crib?" Ella asked. "The couch wouldn't fit both of us comfortably." Nikkole told Ella as she kissed Ella’s head. "Now, be good and get some sleep." With both kids lying down and going to sleep, it was time for Nikkole to rest. She made a bed on the couch and let out a happy sigh. She closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep herself. —------ Nikkole awoke with a startle as the sound of a shower was turned on. She quickly looked around the dark living room. As she got off the couch and stretched, she remembered that Nathan still had school and was probably taking a morning shower to prepare for it. Checking the time, it was 7:08 a.m. At least Nikkole wasn't woken up early again. Nikkole checked on her baby girl, who was still asleep in Rose's crib, not even noticing the sound of the shower going. After gently closing the door, Nikkole entered the kitchen and brewed coffee. As soon as the coffee was ready, so was Nathan, who was finished with his shower and was already dressed for school. "Morning Nathan, sleep well?" Nikkole asked. "Ya," Nathan said as he yawned and grabbed some coffee and bread to toss in the toaster. Nikkole was going to offer to make breakfast when she heard the door open and shut. Both went to see who it was and saw a very tired Rose in the hallway. Without saying a word, Rose dropped her bag, jacket, and keys to the floor and started walking towards Nathan with her arms raised up high like a zombie. Or like a toddler wanting to be picked up. Nathan smiled as he picked his tired mom up with ease. He might have looked scrawny to most, but he was surprisingly strong for a boy his size. "Thank you, baby boy…" Rose said as she started zoning in and out from exhaustion. "One sec, Aunt Nikkole, let me help Mom get ready for bed," Nathan told Nikkole. Nikkole smiled as she remembered having to do something similar with Rose years ago. She would come home late, Rose would sometimes pass out on the doorway floor, and Nikkole would have to take care of her. Now, Nathan was the one who was helping take care of his mother. Nathan knew just how much his mom worked and how hard. So, during days like this, when his mom pulled a very long shift, Nathan was always there to ensure she was okay. It's why he went to bed early. Nathan started with a diaper change and light cleaning. He took his mom into the bathroom and sat her down on a changing table made for her. At that moment, Rose was out as Nathan pulled her pants off and pulled off his mom's diaper protector. After removing the diaper and cleaning the pee, Nathan took a warm washcloth and washed his mom's legs and arms. It wasn't a nice shower, but getting all the sweat and dirt off from a long workday was much nicer before being put into a fresh diaper and pajamas. After a few hours of sleep, Rose will take a shower properly. As Nathan finished getting his mom ready, he picked her up and carried her into the kitchen, wearing her hospital shirt and diaper. "OK, Mom, try to eat something before going to sleep," Nathan told her as he sat her at the table. "Not so fast, young man." Nikkole said as she turned from the stove, "I'm almost done with some eggs. You're going to have some too." "Sorry, but I need to get to school," Nathan told Nikkole. "It takes you 20 minutes to walk to school," Rose said as she looked up at her son sleepily. "You have time for Aunt Nikkole's eggs." "But mom!" Nathan said stubbornly. Rose let out a yawn. "Butt. Down. Now. or it goes over my knee," Rose told him as seriously as she could in her sleepy state. Nathan reluctantly sat at the table, again rolling his eyes at the threat. "That's my good boy," Rose said happily as she reached over the table to give Nathans's hand a loving pat. Nikkole brought over 2 plates of eggs and let the two eat while she got Ella. A few minutes later, Nikkole sat down with a sleepy Ella, who had just changed her diaper. As soon as Nathan was done eating, he grabbed his sweater and backpack. "Love you, Mom," Nathan called out to his mother. "And I love you more!" Rose said with a large, sleepy smile. Making Ella giggle a little. The door slammed shut as Nathan ran to school. "Such a good boy," Nikkole said as she gave Ella a bottle. "You stay here for a moment while I help Rose." Nikkole helped Rose up and helped her walk to the bedroom. "Sorry, it's unmade. Ella was sleeping here," Nikkole told her friend as they got to the crib. "Aw, it's no problem," Rose said as she covered up. "It's still nice and warm with her body heat." "Well, we should probably be going soon. Have a nice rest. You deserve it." Nikkole told her friend as she was about to leave the room. Nikkole turned off the lights as she gently closed the door. Returning to the kitchen, Ella had just finished her bottle. "Come on, Ella, let's go home," Nikkole told her. "Ok, mommy," Ella responded. ____________________ After getting home, things were standard and straightforward. Ella was in the living room playing and watching TV while Nikkole was busy doing her own thing upstairs. That night, after dinner, Nikkole and Ella sat on the couch to watch a few hours of TV before bed. But as Nikkole watched the TV, she noticed something. A single ad that stuck within her mind as she watched it. It was an ad about college and stuff like that. The ad itself didn't mean anything to Nikkole, but did get her thinking about what she should do with Ella. Should Ella go to school? She's 14 now and technically should be in school. But as Nikkole looked down at her baby girl leaning on her, something else came to mind. From the time Nikkole met Ella, one thing always stood out: Ella's not sociable. Ever since she was little, they locked her inside when the Metztlis learned she was a Preas. Away from the real world. Away from interacting with other people and only knowing what they want her to know. She was worthless, and all Preass were brats who couldn't do anything. When she ran away, it wasn't surprising she would run into someone like Bob and work for him. Not knowing any better and making her life even worse. Just being around very few people. They kept her down and unable to see what the rest of the world was like. Like meeting Rose and Nathan. Sampson or the Preas cashier boy(guy?). Showing Ella that just because she has Preas, not everything is terrible. Maybe going to an actual school and being around kids (technically) her own age might be good for Ella. But would sticking her into a school like that be good for her? She hasn't attended school in years and hasn't been homeschooled for about five years. And starting school after it just started might be a bit of a rush. As Nikkole thought all this, Ella grew sleepy and started nodding off. Not knowing her diaper was growing warm and damp. When Nikkole noticed this, she smiled at her baby, Nikkole momentarily played with Ella's hair before picking her up and carrying her upstairs. "I think going to a school will be good for you," Nikkole said with a smile to the sleeping Ella.

Hiii! Welcome! 🧜‍♂️

@DustinDL Welcome to the Daily Diapers community 😊 So happy for you getting your first tape diapers. And what a good choise you made. 👍 Trust me, when you load your first MegaMax you will never go back to pull ups.🌞

chapter 13 Eyes slowly opened to the sounds of raindrops and a familiar stomach pain. For a moment, Ella is back in the hotel room. Constantly waking up in pain. Why her? Why couldn't someone else have been given this curse? Why did she suffer for just being born the way she was? It didn't help as her eyes adjusted, the first thing she saw was a photo of a happy woman holding her child. The site made Ella sick as she knew she could never have something like that. It was now that Ella began to wonder why she had something like that by her bed. As she tried to move out of bed, she realized something was on top of her. Wrapping her up and holding her in place. 'h-huh?" Ella said as her mind began to wake up more, and she rolled over to get out the other way, only to be stopped by something soft on her face. Ella looked up and could see Nikkole's sleeping face. Memories of last night popped back into Ella's mind as she realized Nikkole had her body wrapped around Ella. Like a mother keeping her baby protected. 'how?' Ella thought as she looked at Nikkole. 'how can she be like this?' Then Ella noticed the bandages on Nikkole's shoulder poking out from her shirt, and a wave of regret washed over Ella. Nikkole woke as she heard a muffled cry and looked down at Ella with her face barred in her breasts, crying. "Shhhh, shhh," Nikkole whispered as she wrapped Ella tighter and rubbed her head. "You're okay, baby. I'm here." Nikkole could hear Ella mumble something, and Nikkole was forced to lift Ella's face up to listen to what she was saying. As Ella's teary eyes looked up at Nikkole, a wave of guilt rushed over her as she tried to hide her face again but couldn't. "Ella, I want you to talk to me. no, I need you to tell me what's wrong?" Nikkole told Ella as she refused to let Ella fight her any longer. "I-I can't!" Ella replied, teary-eyed as her mind raced with everything and not knowing what to do. "Yes, you can," Nikkole told her. "Please, just tell me what I did so I can make things better?" That one line felt like a knife had stabbed Ella in the back. "N-no!" Ella yelled. "Y-you d-did nothing -w-wrong! I-im the b-bad one!" Nikkole took her sleeve and wiped away Ella's tears. "Then tell mommy what's wrong?" Nikkole asked. There was a short silence between the two. Nikkole awaits the response, and Ella is too scared to bring up what happened last night. "I-im going back to jail…" Ella told Nikkole as she rolled over to try not to look at Nikkole. "No baby, your…" Nikkole tried to tell her before Ella cut her off. "YES, I AM!" Ella cried out. "I AM BECAUSE IM A CROOK!" More tears streamed down Ella's face as thoughts of the box came to mind. "I STILL HAVE THAT STOLEN STUFF! STUFF I STOLE! I-I DONT DESERVE THIS! A LITTLE CROOK LIKE ME DOESN'T DESERVE YOU!" Nikkole was near tears as she held onto Ella, letting the little girl cry and let it all out. When the crying finally stopped, Nikkole started to rub Ella's head. "You're not going to jail, sweety. I won't let it happen," Nikkole told Ella. "NO!" Ella cried as her voice grew horse from the crying and began to hurt. "NO, LISTEN! YOU CAN'T STO…." But Nikkole silenced Ella with a finger to her lips. "No, baby girl, you listen to me," Nikkole told Ella as she forced Ella to turn around and look at her again. To Ella, she felt even smaller than she usually did around Nikkole. "You are not a bad girl," Nikkole told Ella. "And I will never let anything bad happen to my baby girl. Do you understand?" "Bwut I am! I am a bad girl," Ella mumbled past Nikkole's finger on her lips. “No, you are not,” Nikkole told Ella. "That girl is gone. You are not Ella, the bad girl. You are Ellan. My beautiful princess little girl that I love with all my heart!" "Bwut, noo, I," Ella tried to say back, but Nikkole cut her off. "Do you not want to be my little girl?" Nikkole asked Ella. "Are you going to leave me alone again?" "Noo, I, I," Ella said as she began tearing up again. Each word Nikkole spoke felt like Ella was being stabbed over and over! "Do you not want to stay? Do you want to leave Mommy?" Nikkole asked as Ella shook her head and somehow untangled herself from Nikkole just to jump on top of Nikkole Nikkole was on her back, with Ella hugging her as tight as she could as she balled. "MOOOW! I-I w-want t-to be m-m-mommy's l-little girl!" Ella sobbed. "I s-sowry Mommy! I sowry, Mommy!" Nikkole embraced Ella once more, and she too began to cry as she kissed her baby's head and told her everything would be alright. Mommy was going to make everything alright. Their tears fell like the rain outside. *************** The mother and daughter hadn't moved. Ella remained on top of Nikkole. Her head lay on Nikkole's breasts as she listened to the beat of Nikkole's heart and the breath in her lungs. While Nikkole patted Ella's back and mushy diaper. Usually, Ella would have been devastated to be in another messy diaper, but at this moment, she just wanted to continue to hug her momma and never let go. But eventually, the stench became too much for Nikkole, and she had to change her baby's diaper. Having Ella roll over, Nikkole had her stay on the bed while she went to grab the diaper. When Nikkole returned, she held a regular diaper and changing supplies. But Ella didn't mind. She could wear her trainers another day. Right now, she just wanted Mommy to take care of her. And mommy Nikkole didn't disappoint as she skillfully began changing the baby's diaper. Getting her baby nice and clean and balling up the used diaper nice and tight to prevent leaks. Before Nikkole could walk away, Ella raised her arms towards Nikkole, like a baby wanting to be picked up and just held. Mommy didn't hesitate to pick up her baby girl and carry her downstairs. All while Ella held on tightly. As they distended, the sounds of faraway thunder could be faintly heard. When they entered the kitchen, Ella was sat on the counter while Nikkole went to work on a quick breakfast, only stopping to give Ella a bottle of Prea formula. Once again, Ella didn't fight back at the decision and raised the nipple to her mouth to suck on the worm milk while watching Nikkole make their breakfast. It was just simple oatmeal, but Nikkole made a lot to feed her baby. She knew Ella was probably starving after throwing up her food last night and would make sure her baby wasn't hungry. The water on the stove was just about boiled when the lights suddenly went out. Ella let out a small shrike at the sudden darkness, but Nikkole remained calm and took out her phone as a light source. "It's okay, Ella. I think the storm knocked out the power," Nikkole told her as she went to a cupboard and pulled out a few candles to light up the dark room. Once there was a bit more light, Nikkole saw Ella dropped her bottle on the floor, so Nikkole bent down and picked it up for her, then gave it back just before her phone rang. "Hello?" Nikkole asked as she answered. "Hey Nikkole, it's Rose." Nikkole's friend responded. "Hi, how are you? You affected by the storm, too?" Nikkole asked. "Ya, the power knocked out ⅔ of the town. I got called into the hospital last night after helping you. Thankfully, backup generators kicked in, so it's not so bad at the hospital." Rose replied. "That's good," Nikkole told her. Last night, after Nikkole called Rose, Rose immediately drove back after dropping her son off. After looking over the shoulder and bandaging it better, Rose did her best to comfort Nikkole after what had happened. Even making a suggestion on what they should do with Ella. Rose tried to suggest taking Ella to a Preas care facility. One that specializes in helping Preas with mental and emotional problems. But Nikkole had to refuse. As much as she wanted what was best for her baby girl, she couldn't risk putting Ella through anything that might put her at risk of exposing who she was. Things would get worse if anyone were to find out that she was a Metztli. Rose didn't like that idea but respected her friend's wishes. "Ya, but the school is without power, so they canceled classes for today," Rose told Nikkole. "I've already called and told Nathan, and thankfully, we have power on our side of town." "That's lucky," Nikkole replied. "Ya, so if you want, you two can hang out at my place so you are not bored in the dark," Rose suggested. "That actually sounds fantastic. The power went off just before I could make breakfast. I'll make Nathan something when I get there." Nikkole says as she decides to bring over her eggs to make something. "Great! I'll let Nathan know his babysitter will be there soon!" Rose joked. Nikkole lagged a bit before the two hung up. "Come on, baby girl, we're going to see Nathan," Nikkole told Ella, who smiled at the news. So, after packing a diaper bag and getting Ella changed into a new outfit, Nikkole got ready by grabbing her own clothes. While Ella waited at the door, Nikkole returned to the kitchen to pack a few things for breakfast before noticing the papers still on the kitchen table. Nikkole grabbed them and put them into her purse before going back to Ella, and the two hurried to the car as the rain poured down on them. The drive was short, and within 15 minutes, they were at Rose's house. Nikkole knocked, and after a minute, the door opened to a shirtless Nathan who looked like he had just woken up. "Hi, Aunt Nikkole; hi, Ella," Nathan yawned as he moved out of the way for them to enter. "Our power is out, and your mom told us we could come over so we didn't have to be in the dark," Nikkole told Nathan as he stretched. Ella had to avert her gaze and wasn't sure if she should be looking at him. "Ya, she told me." he yawned again. "Give me a moment to get dressed. I'll be right back." As he returned to his bedroom, Nikkole set the diaper bag down while Ella looked around Rose's home. It was a lovely small 2-bedroom house that was just the right size for their family. All over the house were stepping stools, tools for longer reach, and other stuff for Preas to have a seemingly everyday life. "Nathan, why don't you show Ella your room while I make breakfast!" Nikkole called out her suggeston. "Sure, it's over here!" Nathan shouted back. Ella was a little nervous, but Nikkole nudged her to go to the boy's room. Nathan's room was a slight mess, just like any teen's room, with clothes on the floor that Nathan quickly picked up now that guests were in the house. The room had a small bed and a small TV in front of it. A large shelf filled with books, DVDs, and games covered one of his walls. Along with little toy figures on top of the shelves. Ella was a little stunned by Nathans's collection. By looking at him, you would expect some type of goth or punk theme to the room, but everything seemed normal. Some would even say it is childish. What late teen had a collection of children's books like Percy Jackson? Or has box sets of Ben 10? She could almost understand the video games but was expecting primarily shooters or sports games. Not Legend of Zelda or Pokemon. And what was with the toys on the self? "See anything interesting?" Nathan asked after starting up his room. "N-no, it's just surprising," Ella commented. "What is?" he asked curiously. "W-well, most of this is kid's stuff. And you're not a kid." Ella tells him. Nathan nods a moment when he hears that and looks at his collection. "But you look like a kid and use a diaper. Does that make you a baby?" Nathan asked as Ella Blushed and got a little mad. "That's different!" Ella responds. "Is it?" Nathan asked as he took a seat on his bed. "Just because I like and collect something, doesn't mean im a kid. Just like how, despite needing a diaper, you aren't really a baby." Ella was about to respond but couldn't think of a response. "When you get a bit older, you might miss some of the simple pleasures of childhood," Nathan tells Ella. Still unaware she was actually older than him. Ella looked back at the collections and tried to wrap her head around what Nathan told her. "Well, enough of that. Have you ever played Ninja Kart racing on the Switch?" Nathan asked as he went over to his TV and turned it on before handing a controller to Ella. Nikkole could hear the kids Laughing and playing around, which made Nikkole happy hearing those familiar sounds she missed. It felt like it was only yesterday that Nikkole brought Alex to play. Nikkole quickly got breakfast made for the kids before she went to check on them. She smiled as she took a picture with her phone of Ella sitting on Nathan's lap, steering a game controller while looking so happy as she won the game. "kids, breakfast," Nikkole told them as the two got up, went to the table to eat, and returned to their game. The rest of the day was easy. Nikkole had nothing to do today but relax while the kids played in Nathan's room. So, taking her chance, Nikkole turned on Rose's TV and sat on her couch. As Nikkole watched the TV, the last few days of running around, the stress, and waking up early hit Nikkole like a ton of rocks, and she soon fell asleep on the couch, A few hours later, Nikkole slowly woke up and yawned as she felt something on her. She looked down to see she was covered with a blanket, and Ella was sound asleep with her head resting on Nikkole's Lap. The TV was turned off, but Nikkole heard some faint noise from the other room. Nikkole gently lifted Ella's head and used the blanket she had to make Ella a pillow before going to check on the nose. Nikkole walked past the kitchen and saw that the bread and peanut butter were left on the counter. As Nikkole approached the nose, she looked into Nathan's room and saw him playing a video game. "How are you doing?" Nikkole asked and made Nathan jump in surprise. "Oh, hi, Aunt Nikkole. Did I wake you?" Nathan asked as he gave Nikkole. "No, sweety, I just woke up," Nikkole told the teen. "How long was I asleep?" "Probably 4 or 5 hours," Nathan told her. "Ellan and I made lunch not too long ago before Ellan saw you asleep and put a blanket on you." Nikkole turned and looked down the hallway at the sleeping little girl and smiled. "Also, she used her diaper earlier," Nathan told Nikkole. "Oh dear, she must have been in that diaper for hours," she comments, hoping there won't be a rash. "I offered to change her, but she got embarrassed and turned it down," Nathan told Nikkole, much to her surprise. "You offered?" "I've changed Mom's diapers plenty of times," Nathen explains casually. "Nothing I haven't seen before." Nathen went back to playing his game as if nothing happened. Nikkole wanted to tell him that changing a non-family member's diaper wasn't normal and that he shouldn't change their diapers. But stopped herself when she remembered what she had done just a few nights ago. At least Nathan offered… —-------- It wasn't long before Ella was waking up while in the middle of her diaper change. That was a strange experience for her, but one she knew she would need to get used to. With her diaper now clean and Nikkole awake again, Ella went back to play more games with Nathan while Nikkole began making dinner. Once dinner was over, Nathan volunteered to clean the kitchen while Nikkole or Ella took a shower. An offer they took up as Ella went in first. "Thanks for cleaning up," Nikkole says while helping. "No problem. Thanks for the food." Nathan responded as he washed the dishes. Once Ella was done, Nikkole took her shower after getting Ella into a new diaper and pajamas. When she got out, it was Nathans's turn. While he was in the shower, Nikkole called Ella over and pulled out the documents she had. "I want to ask you one more time. Are you sure you want to do this?" Nikkole asked as Ella looked at the papers. Ella only had a brief moment of hesitation before she signed the papers. With each paper she signed, she felt a heavy weight lift off her. She signed away her age and stopped being an adult. She was now 14 She signed away her independence by making Nikkole her guardian. Her new mommy. And she signed away her past by changing her name. Ella Metztli had now died. But on this day, someone new was born. A little girl who needed someone to take care of her. A little girl who wore diapers had a stutter and was easily upset after every dark thing that had happened to her. And now she had someone to take care of her. To change her diapers no matter what was inside. Who loved her stutter and would love and comfort Ellan whenever she was upset. For the first time in so long, Ella didn't care about anything. She was no longer a crook, she was no longer a Metztl, and she was no longer an adult.

This story has been nothing short of wonderful. I'm sad that it is ending, but I have no idea what more the magic could possibly do to poor Nicole. For Vanessa's sake, though, I hope it shrinks her. She'd be much easier both to deal with and explain if she were actually baby-sized.

That's a lot to lose with only two days left - But then again, a lot can change in two days. Now I'm hearing that tiktok trend sound in my head 🤣 Who knows - There's still two changes yet to come! Day 13 It struck Vanessa that things had become routine almost as soon as the shock had worn off. In just under two weeks, they’d learned that magic existed, and had a cruel sense of humor. They’d seen Nicole devolve from a fully capable woman to a person with the memories of an adult but the physical faculties of a particularly stunted toddler. And, already, she was…used to it. Not unconcerned, of course. Vanessa still spent her time scouring the internet for solutions, looking for cures or counterspells or witches who could fix everything, but it had lost its sense of shock. Even the doodle for the day–showing baby blocks scattered and an utterly broken, jagged speech bubble, didn’t carry much shock, just an indication of what new problems to expect for the day. Now, she just worried for Nicole in a way that could only be described with one word, but it was a word Vanessa refused to say out loud; one that began with an ‘M’ and rhymed with ‘Blaternal’. “Buh!” Nicole called. “Vee-vee!” Vanessa hurried into the nursery. “What is it, Nic? You need a change?” “Hungie,” Nicole said. “Pwea?” (Her speech is getting worse,) Vanessa thought. (And she’s not even forming adult thoughts, at least not any that she’s communicating to me.) “I’ll make something.” She had to sit Nicole down, giving her juice in her Pee Happy bottle so she had something to drink while breakfast got made. Once food was finished, Vanessa fed Nic macaroni one spoonful at a time, working her way through the bowl. At least it was the weekend–trying to juggle baby care and work a full time job already left her exhausted, and she’d only been doing it for a couple days. As she set aside breakfast, she sniffed. “Nicky, you stink.” “Nuh-nuh, no poopies,” Nicole mumbled, shaking her head. Then, uncertain, she reached back and prodded at her diaper with a hand. Confident again, she said, “Nuh!” “Not what I mean,” Vanessa said. “You need a bath, silly–it’s been too long already.” She almost suggested Nicole do it herself, but given how clumsy she’d been, Vanessa worried she’d end up hurting herself. So, she helped Nic down from the kitchen table and walked her friend to the bathroom. “Eeep!” Nicole winced, alarmed. As quickly as she could on all fours, she crawled behind Vanessa’s legs, cowering. “Wha–oh,” Vanessa said, looking between Nic and the toilet, remembering how her friend had described an irrational fear of the porcelain seat. Unfolding a couple towels, she draped them over the toilet, hiding it away for now–enough that Nicole no longer hid from it. While Nic sat on the floor, suckling her thumb, Vanessa got the tub going, testing the water with her hands–not too hot, not too cold. On impulse, she added a bit of shampoo to the mix, filling the tub with sudsy bubbles. “Time to get clean,” she coaxed, holding out a hand to her friend. It was getting easier to just think of her as a baby–Nicole may still have some of her adult traits left, but not many, and the potty training chart had taken so much that she may as well have been just a large infant. Nicole was able to stand for just long enough to get into the tub before her legs stopped supporting her weight again, dropping her into the bubbly water with a splash. She giggled, and Vanessa tried not to be too annoyed about the water splattered on her shirt. “How’s the water?” she asked, rubbing a washcloth down with soap and starting the scrubbing process. Nicole just nodded and smiled. That was all the words she’d be giving on that topic, apparently. Arms, back, butt, down to her legs, and then up again to get her chest–Vanessa cleaned her friend up from bottom to top, ending with her face, careful not to get any soap in her eyes or mouth. “And behind the ears,” she said aloud, narrating as she washed–Nicole seemed more interested in the bubbles than in the cleaning itself. Once Nicole’s body was clean, it came time for her hair. Shampoo, scrubbed in and then rinsed out, followed by conditioner, and then a little time to soak. “How are you feeling, Nic?” Vanessa asked, filling time while they sat in the bathroom. “Wadda’s ni,” Nicole replied. “Sure, but I mean…there’s only one day left,” Vanessa said. “And then I honestly don’t know what could happen after that.” Nicole paused, thinking about it. Her expression soured, a little, but then her eyes came to rest on Vanessa and she smiled again. “You stiww be hewe?” Her tone was half a question, half a request for reassurance. She wanted a promise. Vanessa smiled and nodded. “Of course, Nic–I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.” “Den it’ll be o-tay.” Nicole raised her arms and gave Vanessa a sudsy, wet hug. Vanessa squeezed back, not caring at all that her clothes were soaked. The rest of the day went by. Vanessa had to be on babysitting duty the whole time, but Nicole was able to self direct for a lot of it, and her nursery was stocked with learning primers and baby-level puzzle books that kept her engaged. Food, diaper changes, and occasional attention during playtime were all that was needed. As they wound down for bed, though, Nicole’s confidence wavered. As Vanessa got her changed into a nighttime diaper, she asked, “V?” “What’s up, Nic?” Vanessa asked. “Not goin’ any-way?” It took Vanessa a second to realize she meant, ‘Anywhere’, not ‘Anyway’. “Of course not,” Vanessa assured her, taping down the double-thick diaper. “You ready for bed?” Nicole nodded, then paused. “V?” V tilted her head, helping her friend sit up. “Yeah?” “Can you sweep obah toni’?” Vanessa’s expression melted and she nodded. “Of course, sweetie. Just let me get ready for bed too, okay?” “O-tay.” After her own nightly ritual–toilet, toothbrushing, getting her phone on charge–she put Nicole down in her crib, then got in after her, curling up next to her friend. The gate shut on its own, but Vanessa checked and ensured she could open them without issue. Confident they wouldn’t be trapped, she got cozy under the covers. With the bars penning them in, she had to be right next to Nicole, spooning against her, arms wrapped over her friend’s waist. Nicole snuggled a little closer, yawned happily, and they both fell asleep together. ... Support the author and help with the creation of more stories like this one! https://www.patreon.com/PeculiarChangeling https://subscribestar.adult/peculiarchangeling

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sexopedia/a45210617/what-is-age-play/ seems like a decent article that explains what it is but importantly, what it’s not!

part 2 Danny woke up to the sound of sniffling. Dan turned on a bedside lamp and looked over at Zoey, who was kneeling. "What's *yawn* wong Zo? Dan asked, still very sleepy. "I-i w-w-went p-potty." Zoey sniveled. Dan looked at her, confused. It's not like Zoey hasn't woken up wet before. She's used to it and can easily sleep in a wet diaper all night with no problem. But Dan then noticed the smell coming from the little girl. "Wwwwaaaa!" Zoey started crying. Zoeandra has had plenty of messy accidents in her life. Mostly because she is too busy with work to go to the toilet. But she rarely ever has a messy accident at night. When she does have one, she absolutely hates it. She hates waking up feeling messy and dirty. And when she is Zoey, she hates it just as much. "Oh, it's OK. Big brother will fix this." Danny said as he got out of bed and picked up the tinny girl. Zoey practically latched herself onto Danny, just trying to get her mind off waking up in a messy diaper. Danny went into the bathroom and sat Zoey on the toilet, smashing the mess even more. Zoey was now crying again as Danny got the changing supplies out. Once laid out, Danny had to take off the bunny onesie and lay an almost naked Zoey onto the changing mat. Zoey was still crying, so to help quiet her, he stuck her thumb into her mouth. Which she started to suck on. Zoey was still sniveling and looking at Danny with sad, pleading eyes to get this diaper off her. Danny removed the messy diaper and cleaned the dirty girl before re-diapering her in a nice, fresh diaper. "There we go, is that better?" Dan asked. Zoey nodded, still slightly upset about the diaper. "I don't think that's right. My baby sister would have a smile if it's all better," Dan said before quickly giving Zoey's exposed belly a raspberry. Zoey immediately came to life in a fit of laughter and a smile on her face, Danny smiled as he pulled the little girl up and put her back into her pajamas. "OK, back to bed we go," Danny said as he stood up. "B-but I'm wide awake now," Zoey said as she pulled her thumb out. "I want to play." "Zoey, it's 3 in the morning. Little girls like you need their beauty sleep," Danny told her. "But I'm pretty enough as is!" Zoey huffed as she wanted to play now that she was awake. "OK, Zoey, but I still want a little more sleep," Danny said as he thought of something. "I'll make you a deal. If you go to bed with me right now and let me sleep till 4, I'll make you pancakes." Zoey's eyes lit up. In her current mind, she didn't even realize she was just played, as there was no way she could stay awake an hour while laying in a nice warm bed. As Dan was about to turn to leave the bathroom, Zoey rushed up and started jumping in front of Dan with her hand raised up. Telling Dan she wanted him to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom. Danny sighed and smiled as he picked her up. Zoey giggles as she is picked up and hugs Danny as he carries her back into the room. However, Zoey doesn't want to let go when he gets to bed. "No! To comfy!" she winds and holds on tighter. Danny sighs again and just gets into bed with Zoey holding onto him. ****** Danny woke up a few hours later with Zoey still hugging him. Like he thought, Zoey immediately passed out when he turned the lights off. It took him about 10 minutes to escape from the little girl's grasp. After finally being free, Zoey rolls over and starts sucking her thumb. "Good baby girl," Danny whispers as he pats Zoey's bottom before leaving the room. He went to the kitchen, where he made pancakes like he promised. He had just finished making some when he heard his bedroom door open. He turned to see a sleepy Zoey walk into the room. The smell of pancakes woke her up a little. Without saying a word, she walked over to the table and climbed into her booster seat. But after waking up and having a wet diaper, that was a little difficult. Thankfully, Danny picked her up, set her into the seat, and gave her a bottle of milk to suckle on while he finished making pancakes. When Danny returned, he could see Zoey slightly nodding off but trying to stay awake. "Looks like someone is going to need an early nap today," Danny said. "Mooooo." Zoey moaned in her sleepy state. Danny just smiled and sat down before cutting up Zoey's pancake and holding a peace for her. Zoey looked at it momentarily before opening her mouth for Danny to feed her. After being fed breakfast, Zoey finally woke up and wanted to play. "OK, Zoey, go play with your toys while I clean up," Danny told her. "OK!" Zoey yelled as she was freed from her chair and went to play with her toys for a little bit. It was now 9 Am. After cleaning up, Danny would give Zoey a diaper change before they started their day. Over the next few hours, Danny played with Zoey with toys and video games until it grew time for lunch. "OK, Zo, I'm going to make lunch right now. You color and watch TV while I'm gone." Danny told the little girl, who nodded. As Danny made chilly dogs for lunch, Zoey watched her favorite cartoon while coloring in a coloring book. But as her mind wandered, she noticed something about Danny's living room table. The table had little dark spots dotting the table as part of the wood design. In her current state of mind, the first thing she thought of was connect the dots. "Zoey?" Danny said as he walked back into the living room. "Danny, look!" Zoey exclaimed brightly. "I connect dots!" "ZOEY!" Danny yelled angrily, and he startled Zoey and rushed over. He immediately yanked the crayon out of Zoey's hand and expected the damage. "BAD GIRL!" Danny yelled. "You don't color on furnisher!" Zoey was a little shocked. And in her mind, she had no idea what to do! Then Danny picked Zoey up and put her over his knee. Danny yanked her diaper down before giving her a spanking. Zoey burst out crying as she was spanked. Tears and snot dripped down as she felt the spanking go on forever. Danny only spanked her ten times before pulling her diaper back up and sticking her nose into a corner. While Zoey was crying in the corner, Danny cleaned his table. Danny knew Zoeandra could easily have someone clean or even replace his table. It wasn't even an expensive one. But when she is Zoey, they understand that she is to be treated like any little girl. That includes punishments from time to time. "D-Danny." Zoey snivaled as she turned her head to see a stern look from him, sending her nose back where it belonged. A new batch of tears crawled down her face, and she started to hiccup. "Zoey, come here," Danny said sternly as he sat on his couch. Zoey slowly turned from the corner and hiccuped as she approached Danny, partly afraid he would spank her again. She was shaking when she was finally in front of him, and her lip quivered. She flinched as Danny reached over and picked her up, and she started flooding her diaper in fear of another spanking. But Danny just placed her on his lap and hugged her. "It's OK, Zoey. big brothers not mad anymore." Danny told her as he rubbed her back. "But you know why I was mad, right?" Zoey quickly nodded her head. "You know big brother hates punishing you. That's why you need to be a good girl. Alright?" Danny told Zoey. "Y-yes." Zoey whimpered out before she hugged Danny for comfort. "There's my good baby sister," Danny said with a small smile as he comforted his sister and kissed her on the head.

Definitely enjoyed the chapter. This one wasn’t good for Mikey but it wasn’t all that bad either. His sisters displaying their dominance over him and Allison continuing to let him know who is in charge. However now things could really get bad for Mikey. Allison is only giving little bits of leash out before she snatches it all back in and when that happens he is in trouble. I doubt there’s any chance of it happening but I would like to see Mikey figure a way out of the mess he’s in. I am looking forward to seeing more of the story.

Well, with how I've set things up Kelly and Zach and Maddy are off on their trip to see their grandmother and cousins. So probably not appearing too soon unfortunately. But we shall see what happens down the line.

Molicare Slip Changed the type of plastic they use and the new plastic sucks, the new plastic will tear where you place the tape and they will also tear when you try to put them on, I did find they will tear less if you place the tapes on the plastic where there is no padding , place the top tapes up high above the padding and the tapes on the legs are more difficult but again try to place the tapes below the padding.

I've got all the Asterix books in French and every now & then I read them all again. I just love them. They're really a lot funnier in French, as there's a lot of visual puns that don't translate. They work for both my little and adult sides at the same time. The better your French, the more you can get out of them. Back in the day when I started collecting them, if you bought a French language Asterix book in the UK there was usually a crib sheet in English explaining what was going on when it wasn't obvious. They were really useful.

I am really curious, if Vanessa would start to have the effects of the first day of the potty training chart and from there start to walk the same road to babyhood as Nicole did, since she is sleeping in the room, where the chart is affixed to it's door. 😈

Hiii! Crinklz aquanaut! One of my favorites. 🙂😀😃 🧜‍♂️

Yeah, still don't know what the problem was but its working for now.

Is that a new thing in US... instead of flipping burgers, one flips fleas - as it really is not a vegatarian meal... or is that how new vegatarians become.... by reducing meat intake a little at a time. 🤪😜🤣😂

My wife and I watch a show here in the US called Flea Market Flip where they have a competition to see who can upcycle items for the most profit. Your project reminds me of this show, I am always amazed at the creativity of many people and how they can reimagine some very nasty items. You seem to have this talent, you should post a before and after photo to show the improvements.

Looks like you definitely need a change

Thanks for the story so far.

Thanks! Same here, hoping to continue to have plenty of time to write some more chapters in the near future. I'm very excited for the sleepover chapters as well. Currently is looking like I'll need three chapters to cover everything that is planned for it. My lips are going to have to remained sealed on that matter.

Wow! Finally caught up. Dying 6 times and being brought back with bare wires?! That was hard to read. I'm so happy these nurses care so much for his well being (although it is not a one sided arrangement. They may be getting more from him then they give in the long run, not even considering the time in the townhouse). Is Ian's youth buried in his head waiting to come out or has he not shared it because no one is asking the questions? I know it is coming. Like any good sub Ian is already looking to push the rules. Some really hard spankings coming his way. Tobies is awesome! My cousins live in Carlton MN. We stop at Tobies all the time. Pecan Carmel Rolls are my favorite menu item from there. Another favorite stop is Sportmans Cafe in Mora MN. Grandma used to have a cabin on lake Minniwawa in McGregor MN. The cafe was always a good spot to let us kids out and run a bit. I'm enjoying your story and look forward to more. April

Chapter seventeen The two boys sat tensely side by side on the school desk. The teacher had handed out the reports and the letters were in the school bag. The classroom was tidied up and the last activities were finished. Everyone in the class was allowed to move on to the next year, but of course they had known this for a while, as the teacher had already had a contact moment with all the parents. The only thing the whole class was paying attention to now was the clock ticking slowly, second by second. Jasper had already packed his stuff for the next day the night before. His rucksack with an empty lunch box and a bottle of water for the day in the park, a sealed envelope with all sorts of boring letters in case of an accident or something, and another biscuit and a piece of fruit for the day. In addition to the rucksack, he had also prepared a small travel bag with things for the overnight and the next day. Toilet articles, towel, fresh clothes,… Helga had made the list and then checked everything. She was proud of Jasper for getting everything done so quickly and smoothly. She had promised to come by after school to bring the stuff and take Jasper’s school bag home. Jasper held his breath. He saw that the second hand was almost up. Four more, three, two, one, “Ting-a-ling!!!” With a big noise that could be heard throughout the school, the students stood up in all the classrooms. Have a nice holiday!" came from all sides, back and forth between teachers and students, and between everyone. Jasper and Dries walked cheerfully out of the school gates through a crowd of other children. Kathy was already waiting for them. Smiling broadly, the two boys headed off on their vacation. The children arrived at Dries’ house. They put down their schoolbags and smiled, wondering what they were going to do for the next few weeks. They had so much time on their hands and so much they wanted to do! Jasper suggested rebuilding the Lego castle. After the dragon destroyed half the castle last time, they had to clean everything up and put it in the bins. Dries thought it was a good idea and together they started laying the foundations, with room in the cellars for dungeons, a forgetting pit and a treasure room. While Dries was building the walls, Jasper was busy making and testing a ballista. They were going to give the Lego dragon a hard time with the castle that was now so well defended. The doorbell rang and Helga was at the door with Jasper’s rucksack and travel bag. Koen opened the door and saw everything. “Glad you’re here. I’ll give you Jasper’s school bag first, so we don’t forget it,” he said, handing it to her. “I came by car to take Jasper’s car seat,” Helga said, “but I couldn’t get it out.” “No problem, I’ll have a look,” Koen said as he walked along. “With the Isofix these days, it should be no problem.” “That is exactly the problem. The chair was already old when we bought it second-hand for Gert. It is now a long time ago. For Jasper I had to ask the mechanic to install it. Celine and I couldn’t do it, the chair doesn’t have the standard Isofix”. Koen looked worried when he heard this. He took a good look at the car seat and indeed it did not have the now standard fastening system that could be attached to the brackets between the seat and backrest. There was a strap over the backrest that was attached to a special attachment point on the back of the car seat. Koen tried, but couldn’t get it off easily. Before looking further, he checked his own car again. There was no attachment point on the back of the seat. “It won’t work with your car seat.” Koen said disappointedly. He didn’t immediately know how to solve the problem. “Do you have a normal booster cushion somewhere?” he asked. “No,” Helga replied. “He only weighs twenty kilos, 44 pounds, and Celine was always against it. She prefers to keep Jasper in a complete chair for as long as possible, for reasons of safety.” “Only twenty kilos, 44 pounds? Dries is just under thirty kilos, 66 pounds.” Koen said in surprise. “Yes, but they are also a bit different in height. Jasper is short, he is only 1m16, 3.8ft.” Koen nodded understandingly. Suddenly he had an idea and went into the storage room. He came out with a car seat. “This car seat belonged to Dries until last year, it is for groups zero to two, up to 25 kilograms, 55 pounds. I wanted to sell it second-hand on the internet, but I haven’t had the time yet. Would Jasper still fit in it?” Helga looked at the chair critically. It was a five-point harness seat. It was a step backwards for Jasper, but the chair looked big enough, safe and comfortable. “This should do it, I think.” Helga said. “Will it be difficult to get him into the car? Then we’ll call Jasper to try it out.” “No, it’s no problem,” Koen replied and clicked the seat into the Isofix on the back seat. “Jasper, can you come down for a minute?” called Helga. “Coming!” cried Jasper and obediently stopped building Lego and came to see his mum. “Would you like to sit in this chair to see if it fits? We can’t transfer our own seat.” Jasper climbed into the car and sat down on the seat. Automatically, he turned to reach over his shoulder for the regular seatbelt. “Wait a minute,” Koen said, taking a step forward. “These straps are still attached to the seat itself.” Koen guided Jasper’s hands through the loops, closed everything with the buckle that hung between Jasper’s legs and pulled the straps to tighten everything. Finally he closed the sternum strap and tilted the seat back a little. “Is this comfortable? Not too tight anywhere?” asked Koen. Helga wanted to see too and checked everything. Jasper’s head didn’t stick out above the headrest, the shoulder straps were at the right height and it wasn’t too wide or too tight all round. “It fits you well, doesn’t it, Jasper?” Helga inquired. Jasper couldn’t help nodding. “Is my own seat really not possible? I’m used to it,” he tried carefully. “No, it won’t work. We can’t get it out of our car.” Koen undid the buckle and helped Jasper out of the car. “Go ahead and play.” Koen took the travel bag and rucksack and said goodbye to Helga. “Have fun tomorrow. When will I see Jasper again?” Helga asked. “We’ll send you something when we’re in the car on the way home, and then you can decide whether to take him home or not and immediately drop him off at your place.” “That’s good, then we’ll agree.” Helga said. “By Jasper, have fun tomorrow!” she called upstairs. Jasper ran back down. “See you tomorrow, Mummy, I love you,” he said, giving his mum a big hug

Part Seventeen For the most part, Ashley was the calculating type. Being popular wasn’t just about being the richest girl, or the prettiest girl, or even the most confident girl at school. While Ashley was rich and pretty and popular, she was also self aware and realistic. It would be foolishly vain to believe that she outclassed the other Westridge girls in any of those categories. Almost every student at the boarding school had some degree of wealth, which meant the other two qualities weren’t far behind. At least, for the families like hers that put pressure on appearances and social interactions. Ashley, however, was unique in the fact that she went the extra mile to stay on top. Studying other girls; going so far as to take notes to review later. Avoiding confrontations; it was easier to carefully gossip here and there to gradually take another girl down, but in a way where it wouldn’t be traced back to her. And finally, surrounding herself with classmates she considered potential threats. Instead of waiting for them to become a problem, Ashley opted to keep them close and let them enjoy the taste of popularity while believing that it was Ashley herself who made it possible. Most importantly, she made herself trustworthy. In the movies, the top dog is always some bitch who berates and demeans the other girls to keep them in line. Ashley chose the opposite approach for real life. Aside from a casual backhanded compliment every now and then, the dark haired girl gave off a more approachable aura. Similar to the way she was eventually left alone in the front office via trust, she also gradually became the assumed secret keeper, advisor, and protector to her friends. It put her in a position where everyone relied on her, but also knew that crossing her would result in too much fallout if it ever came to that. Enter Millie. The blonde college grad was a fucking twig, and fairly short even with the assistance of heels. Not only that, but she also looked like a lost lamb when crossing through the threshold of the office’s door. Certainly not the kind of young woman who could control a room full of entitled teenage girls. In fact, if the little blonde wasn’t all dressed up for an interview, she wouldn’t look that different from most of the other academy girls. Ashley decided to go for it. It was a lot more impulsive than her usual mode of operation, especially since an administrator could walk in at any moment. But as Ashley lied through her teeth, she realized that it actually wasn’t that risky. Worst case scenario, she could play it off as a joke. Or a mistake in the system, depending on the adult. Ashley had worked in the office long enough to trust herself to think on her feet. Thankfully, it never came to that, and she convinced Amelia to leave and come back another day. In other words, to give Ashley time to prepare. It was an absolutely crazy idea, one that she wasn’t sure that she could pull off. But if it worked . . . The paperwork was easy. Thanks to Ashley’s ‘helpful’ tip, the faxed registration form arrived when everyone in the office was having lunch and she was once again the only one in the room. The paper version submitted by Amelia would never make it to the school’s records. Its only purpose was to give Ashley the information she needed. Opening an electronic version on the computer in front of her, the dark haired girl smirked to herself and began transferring all the relevant details. It had taken her quite some time to decide on a suitable grade for little Millie. Could the young adult pass for a middle school girl? She was the right size, but there was still an air of maturity that would make it a hard sell. Ultimately, Ashley decided to go for it. If the school uniform could be involved, that would surely offset any adult mannerisms. Amelia would be thirteen years old. Old enough to have a bit of boob, but young enough to not be taken seriously in the slightest. And, just for fun, she would be called ‘Millie.’ The perfect name for a transfer girl on scholarship. And the perfect name to add to the image that Ashley was aiming for. Ashley only shared her scheme with one other person–Claire. The tall brunette was easily the best choice. Just like Millie would look years younger when dressed like a schoolgirl, Claire could pull off a more mature look when wearing the right combination of clothes and make-up. Not only that, but Claire could keep a secret and had a great poker face. Between Ashley’s excessive editing of the registration form and Claire’s fake interview, all the pieces would be in place for Millie to spend a full day at Westridge Academy as a new student without even realizing it. And it actually worked. By setting the interview at 5:30 on a Friday–thirty minutes after the work day in which most administrators left early, and a good two hours after the last class of the day–no one was around to notice that Claire was borrowing an office at the end of the hall. Posing as Mrs. Thompson, after Ashley switched the names on the office doors, Claire convinced the unsuspecting applicant to come back and spend a day as a new student in full uniform. Just for good measure, Ashley changed the girl’s last name to ‘Roberts.’ Setting it up so they were cousins meant that it would be easier for her to get out of a few classes in order to show her dear younger relative around the campus. After all, changing schools in the middle of the year is quite a big transition. Having a familiar face on the first day would help Millie feel more comfortable. And, since it was Ashley’s home turf, it was all too easy to confiscate the small blonde’s possessions before her aptitude test. Once all was said and done, Millie looked so CUTE. Honestly, once Millie swapped out her heels for a pair of used flats, she probably could have physically passed for a twelve year old. However, thirteen was still the right call, as the girl’s hair and make-up were just enough to give her a slightly older look. Next, came the biggest wild card of the day. Ashley passed off her ‘little cousin’ to Mrs. Lewis. Aside from introducing Millie as a new student, there wasn’t anything else she could do. Ashley just headed to class, touched base with Claire, and prayed. Between the aptitude test and the advisor meeting, little Millie would be alone with two separate adults. The good news was, Ashley had added plenty of negative things to Millie’s registration form when she transferred the physical version to the computer. Rather than the straight-A student that the petite blonde really was when she was younger, the newly thirteen year old Millie was now a straight-B student. And a B student at a public school is basically a C student at Westridge. On top of that, she was oh so troublesome. A handful of detentions, issues with authority; ‘compulsive liar’ was on the list as well, to undermine any adult truths that the new transfer student might be tempted to tell if she figured out the game Ashley was playing. After dropping Millie off for her test, Ashley could barely concentrate as she sat in the back row with Claire and another friend of theirs. First, Mrs. Lewis would oversee the aptitude test. Then, Ms. Song would put together a schedule for the girl based on both the test and the falsified registration form Ashley has submitted to the school’s system. Unfortunately, Ashley had a different advisor, so she couldn’t do any foundational work as Millie’s ‘older cousin’ before the meeting on Monday. Even though she spoke to Ms. Song every now and then in the front office, Ashley didn’t know whether or not Millie would even go for the ‘first day experience’ idea until after Claire’s Friday meeting. So many questions. How well did Millie do on the aptitude test? Was Ms. Song able to define all the expectations of a proper Westridge student without Millie catching on? If the little blonde did figure out what was happening, would she be able to slam on the brakes? All the phone numbers on the registration form had been changed, and Ashley had hidden away the phone and wallet that would more easily be able to prove Amelia’s real age. But if Ms. Song indulged the girl and let her use an office phone with a memorized number, this whole thing was over. Finally, after the longest history class of her life, Ashley was called down to the main office. To give Millie a tour of the campus, as originally planned. Or to face the music, if her not fully calculated idea failed. Ashley shot Claire a confident wink, to assert that she wasn’t nervous in the slightest, and then went to see how everything played out in her absence. ----------------------- Check out my website: www.ladyluciastories.com And read more of "The Teaching Assistant" (40+ parts) and other stories on my Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=73056590

Dawn of the final day I am on the edge of my seat. 😩

I've stated before that one of the concerns of people who are new to being back in diapers, specifically, the noises they make, is largely exaggerated. My diaper used to sound like it echoed to me, under certain circumstances, such as walking down the quiet hallway of my parents' apartment building, or being out on my driveway with the dog at 11 PM. However, nobody seems to notice, basically ever - I think that we become attuned to the crinkling noises, because most of us here have "diaper radar" - we compile clues and add two plus two together to get four, whereas the unsuspecting, innocent public for the most part does not. However, apparently they are audible, under certain circumstances. Specifically, last night, when I was trying to sneak up on and startle my daughter. She had filled a water bottle in the kitchen, but then forgotten about it, and was now watching TV in the living room, sitting on a couch that kind of floats in the middle of the room, creating a divide between the TV area and an area that is more of a sitting room, with chairs and bookshelves. I used to play a game on her where I would try to sneak up and startle her, and she'd do it to me as well, when sitting on that couch - there is an entrance to the room behind the couch, and if the lights are low, and you move slowly, it is possible to enter the room unnoticed. So, when my wife asked me if I'd bring the water bottle to my daughter, I decided to take the long way around, just to see if that old game could be revived once more. Sure enough, she was sitting in the living room, in the middle of the floating couch, watching something, with most of the lights off. Ergo, I went into ultimate stealth mode, attempting to become an F35 as I crept in with the water bottle, to try and time a "BOO!" to a tense moment in the narrative, if I could. It worked all the time back when she was 11. I slipped my slippers off, going with socked feet for absolute silence. I took about 6 minutes to cross 12 feet of flooring, muting even my breath. I think you can see where this is going. I was almost within striking distance of the back of the couch, when she said "Dad, I can hear your diaper." I was wearing a Critter Caboose. The Caboose is neither the quietest nor the loudest plastic diaper on the market - it sounds like most other plastic diapers. I thought my snail's pace would keep its noises to a minimum, but apparently, even operating at a crawl, the crinkling was sufficient to be heard over the volume of her show. I guess I've learned to tune it out. Duly noted.

Nothing beats waking up in a nearly fully soaked diaper having to let out a big bladder and it still absorbs everything

nice story

Lovely story that is growing on me. I like it and look forward to the next chapters. 👍😊

Great Chapter Thank you!

nice story

Just don’t be a dick about it. Nobody wants to smell your dirty diaper. Plastic pants, nullo and keep moving, don’t sit next to people indoors with a poppy diaper. Common sense and common courtesy in place and you can do pretty much whatever you need to.

I just love the dynamic and how these two are working through this together. Really good communication going on!

Chapter 26 - Conclusion "In what is almost too wild and a bizarre story to be believed, several arrests were made today for a series of measures, many of which were authorized by the state board of health and the commission on the pandemic response, which can only be described as kidnapping, excessive force, medical malpractice and blatant physical and mental abuse. It is unknown at this time how many individuals were victims of these 'so called' treatments but a special federal investigation has already been formed. It is expected several top officials in the state and county government will be resigning soon and may face criminal charges as well. We'll continue to provide more details as this incredibly shocking story continues to develop. We have obtained a recording from the group of lawyers who exposed this program and will play it for you now. We warn you what you are about to hear..." 'Click', Katy turned off the TV news station she was watching in the hospital room and went over and sat back down in the chair next to Belle's bed. As promised Katy had not left her alone. She was working at her laptop, sifting through the hundreds of emails, Facebook messages and other social media requests she had received in light of her newfound publicity. There were requests for interviews, job offers, and book deals already flooding in. She shook her head. 'Anything to make buck', she thought to herself and closed her laptop. "Katy?", she heard someone say. Katy darted up, almost dropping her laptop on the floor and quickly found Belle's hand. "Where am I, what happened?" "You're in the hospital, a real hospital I mean. How are you feeling?", Katy asked. "Besides being tired, and a bit of headache I feel fine actually.", Belle said and Katy was relieved. "What happened, how am I here?", Belle kept asking. "It's over Belle. It's all over. We got them!", Katy exclaimed. "Who got them? What are you talking about?" Katy gave Belle the two minute version of events but promised her she would explain everything later in as much detail as she needed. She told Belle the only thing that mattered right now was making sure she was ok, and assured her she had nothing more to worry about. "How long?", Belle asked. "How long?", Katy said with an inflection indicating she didn't understand. "Yeah, how long was I there? How long have I been here? What year is it!?", Belle said jokingly. Katy laughed out loud at Belle's joke, glad that she still had her sense of humor. She told Belle she arrived at the hospital the hospital late last night, and that she rode with her from the facility in the ambulance. Katy didn't share too many details of her release or disclosed she had changed Belle in hopes of sparing her some embarrassment for now. Belle was surprised that she didn't remember an ambulance ride or Katy being there at all. "You were pretty out of it. We don't exactly know yet what their plan was for you; maybe they knew they were about to be shut down and couldn't deal with you, who knows. We are going to try and find out though. We fought like hell for three days to get you out of there and the damn finally broke last night when a judge signed the order. We think they had you pretty sedated for most of it. You don't remember much do you?" Belle shook her head. "Maybe that's best for now Belle.", Katy said, not wanting to get into too much details. Katy leaned in slowly for a kiss, making sure it was ok with Belle first. "What are you waiting for?", Belle asked as she impatiently waited for Katy's kiss. They embraced and shared an intimate moment. Katy put her arms around Belle and hugged her tightly. Katy began to cry from the emotional toll all this had taken on her and she looked at Belle. Belle wiped the tears away from Katy. She was actually the strong one right now. Belle had been through so much she figured not much else could hurt her at this point. "It's OK Katy, don't cry. I knew you would save me Katy, I knew it!", Belle told her. Katy sat on the side of the bed and Belle scooted over and patted the soft mattress next to her. Katy moved up onto the bed so that Belle could rest her head on her shoulder. Katy ran her fingers though Belle's hair and let her rest for awhile, secure in her arms. Belle began to fidget a little and told Katy she thought she probably needed to get up use the bathroom so she started to sit up slowly. "This is like a dream come true Katy, I can't believe I finally get to use the bathroom like a normal... ", Belle started to say when she lost control and could feel pee already starting to come out of her without warning. "Oh god, oh god... no... Katie! What is happening to me?", Belle said in fear. Katy held her and said, "Shhh shhh, it's ok, it's ok, I promise. Try not to move too fast, the doctor said to take it easy." Belle quickly pulled the sheet off herself not wanting to soak them any more than she had, figuring a nurse would soon have to come clean all this up while she suffered through even more embarrassment. Panic struck her when she saw she was still wearing the same thick diaper. She had not even noticed it before which worried her even more. "Katy?... Why?", Belle begged for answers and she realized she was still peeing. "Belle, please, try not to worry. It is going to be ok I promise. You are going to have a little loss of control for awhile from all the medication and suppositories they gave you. It's not your fault. Don't worry I am taking care of everything, I have plenty of supplies for you at home.", Katy said. "Little loss of control? Katie, I have no control, at all!", Belle began to cry in Katy's arms. "Wait what!? You said more supplies at home? How long is this supposed to last!", Belle shouted, now getting angry. "Belle!, Calm down, please, I don't want you to wear yourself out. It is only for a couple of months, three tops." "Noooo, Katy please... I can't do anymore. I just can't.", Belle cried in disbelief. "Belle, stop it now. You WILL get through this. It's just the way it is for awhile. We will get through it together Belle. Besides, when this is all done I'm going to be an expert diaper changer, that's for sure.", Katy said jokingly as she kissed Belle's forehead. "Katy, c'mon, that's not funny. At all! I'm sure I can handle it and I don't want you to have to experience any part of that, it's too gross to even think about", Belle said. Katy had a weird look on her face and gritted her teeth which gave her away. It was clear she was hiding something and didn't know how to handle it. "OH GOD, KATY!, Please please tell you me you didn't. Pleeeeease.", Belle cried, already knowing the truth that Katy had changed her dirty diaper at least once already. She was about to break down and started hyperventilating. She couldn't take the embarrassment of having Katy see her like that. She didn't know how to react. She felt so vulnerable again and wanted to escape. She let go of Katy and tried to curl up and hide from her, feeling disgusted. It was an involuntary reaction to being 100% exposed on a physical and emotional level, to a girl she just confessed her love to. She had never felt like this before. She didn't know how she could live with it until Katy snapped her out of it. "Belle! Belle! Look at me right now.", Katy said in a stern voice. "When I came to get you at that place, there was no way in hell I was letting anyone touch you but me. I told you I loved you and I meant it. That means I love you if you are messy, smelly, clean or dirty. Belle, please don't make a big deal about this, I'm happy to do it for you. What if our places had been reversed, wouldn't you do this for me?". "I... I would Katy. I love you too. I'd do anything for you.", Belle tried to say after considering the question. "Belle, don't take this the wrong way, but I sort of like it, you know... changing you.", Katy told her. "Yeah... Wait, you like it!? What the hell Katy?! How am I not supposed to take that the wrong way!?" "I mean, having to clean up your poopy bottom isn't the most thrilling thing world to do, but I like the part where I get to take care of you. I want to make sure you are safe and happy, and if I can bring you comfort it makes me happy too. It's hard to explain but the feeling I get after cleaning you, you know, down there, and putting you in another diaper... it makes me feel so close and connected to you. Sorry it's weird but I just wanted to be honest with you about how I feel", Katie tried to explain. Belle tried to understand what she just heard. It sort of made sense to her but then she thought about how Katy had been seeing her and touching her diaper area. It was weird to think how Katy had been doing that, seeing all of her, touching all of her. These were things they were supposed to explore together, and Belle didn't think the first time Katy touched her would be like that. She wondered what it would feel like the next time, knowing she would be awake to experience it. It gave her chills to think about and she got a little aroused with the thought of Katy tending to her. Belled turned to Katy again, "I'm sorry. I freaked out a little there. I mean, I guess... I guess I might like your help with that. It sounds kind of nice actually.", Belle blushed. "Don't worry Belle, my diaper changes will be much much nicer than what you are used to, trust me!", Katy said as she gave Belle a teasing look which caused her to blush even more. "Katy, how long do I have to stay here?", Belle asked. "They said you can go home as soon as you feel up to it, and as long as you have someone to stay with you. I'd like to volunteer for that job if you don't mind?", Katy told her as they laughed. Katy helped Belle out of bed. They both decided to delay the diaper change until they were in the privacy of Belle's home. Katy helped dress Belle in the scrubs she arrived in and packed their things before checking out. "I can't believe it's over Katy, well you know what I mean.", Belle said as she longed for home. "And Dr. Spencer, and Beth and Nick, I can't believe they are all in jail", Belle stated. "C'mon Belle, we'll talk about that later ok? I'm just glad you are ok.", as she tried to change the subject. "Katy, what are you not telling me, what is it?", Belle asked again. "Belle, they weren't there last night. And we don't know where they are. And... well we checked with all the employment records, files, and state medical licenses. No one has a record of this Dr. Spencer anywhere, and know one knows who she is. At least that is what they are telling us. It's like she just vanished and never existed.", Katy explained. Belle heard this and worried Dr. Spencer could come through the door any second now and rip her away from Katy again. "Katy?", Belle said with a worried voice and the look of fear on her face. Katy realized this had affected Belle more than she was letting on. "Belle, it IS over, trust me. I'm going to take care of you and not let anything happen. You are safe with me. You believe me!?", Katy asked positively. "I do Katy.", Belle said. "Good, now come on now, lets get you home." ---- Katy opened the door to Belle's home and they walked in. Belle noticed the place had been put back together, cleaned and smelled great. She looked over at the kitchen table and saw a dozen roses in a vase. She smiled at Katy and thanked her. "There's a card too. You can read it later.", Katy said and gave her a cute wink. Belle sat down on the couch and leaned back, taking a deep breath, glad to be home. Katy worked around the house for a few minutes while Belle rested before finally going over and sitting down beside her. "Welcome home my love.", Katy told her and she took her hand and looked at her. Belle leaned over and they kissed for a bit. It was the first time either of them had felt free since meeting each other and it felt so different to be able to do this without the situation hanging over their heads. Katy touched Belle's face and lips, caressing her. "It's time Belle.", Katy told her. Belle giggled, "Time for what?" Katy looked into her eyes and Belle was anxious to know what Katy has planned for her next. "Time to change that wet diaper." Belle sank back on the couch, deflated, not expecting to hear that. "Katy, I... but.." "No buts Belle, except yours going into a nice clean diaper.", Katy teased. Katy stood up and held out her hand and Belle took it. She noticed how wet her diaper was now, wondering when she would start to get some control back. Belle took Katy's hand and she was led into her room where she saw a fresh diaper and booster sitting on the bed, along with various supplies. Her heart started pounding. Katy was about to see her, touch her, clean her and diaper her. Her breathing was heavy and Katy could hear it in the quiet room. "Shhh shhh it's going to be ok.", Katy said as she circled behind Belle and lifted the top up and off her body, leaving her naked from the waist up. Katy's arms wrapped around Belle from behind and she worked them up Belle's chest while kissing her neck. "My changes are the best kind Belle, you'll see.", Katy whispered into her ear. Belle remained silent, focusing on every word Katy was saying to her, every touch from her fingers. Katy's hands slid back down Belles tummy and found the drawstring of the pants Belle was still wearing. She pulled the loose end, undoing the knot and the pants easily slipped from Belle's tiny frame and hit the floor. Katy went around and faced Belle, pressing up against her, kissing her again, then took one hand in each of hers and pulled Belle back towards the bed. "Lay down.", Katy ordered in a sweet voice. Belle laid back on a soft towel that Katy had placed on the bed to protect the sheets. Her instinct as to cover herself but she realized there was no need. She let her hands fall to her side and she took a deep breath. She felt Katy spread her legs a little, preparing for access. Katy traced her fingers up Belle's legs, letting them fall over her thighs and along the edges of the diaper between Belle's legs. Belle jumped as she felt Katy's fingers playing with her there. Her chest was pounding, her heart was racing. "Let's get this off you shall we?", Katy said as she slid her hands over the diaper and grabbed the tapes." Belle started to speak. "Shhh. Just close your eyes sweetie... breath... relax.". Belle did as she was told and took another deep breath. She was patiently waiting for what was to come next. Moments later she heard the tapes securing the diaper give way. Katy's hands were smooth and Belle felt their touch for the first time. Belle peaked a little and saw Katy staring down at her, smiling. "I love you Katy." "I love you too.", Katy said as she removed the wet diaper from beneath Belle.

Chapter 30 “Are you sure you know how to do this,” Jamie asked. His bear had definitely seen better days, but he was wary of Becky doing something to it that couldn’t be undone. “I’ll be very careful. And you can pick out any fabric you like,” Becky assured Jamie. “I just want you to like it.” Though she hoped he wouldn’t pick any too expensive. She expected to waste a lot of it screwing it up. For his part, Jamie was not so sure about her sewing a new coat on his bear. He figured she could manage it well enough, but it was the bear Cheryl gave him. He knew it needed to be refreshed, but he didn’t want to change it so much that it wasn’t the bear she gave him anymore. He brought it along to compare to the fabric swatches. “Can I help you find anything,” a saleswoman asked from behind them. “We’re looking for, well I don’t know, fake fur I guess,” Becky said. “Teddy Bear fabric.” The woman bent at the waist to look Jamie in the eye. “Are you getting a new bear, or is that bear getting a new coat?” “A new coat,” he replied. “Like this one. Only clean.” “Haha. I think we can get pretty close.” She led them to a section of the store with colorful fabrics clearly meant for littles, young kids, and their toys. “Here’s everything. I’ll be over there when you pick one.” “Well, let’s find one,” Becky said with a smile. She began fingering the bolts of cloth while Jamie zeroed in on the medium tans that most closely matched his bear when it was new. It was darker and less vibrant now. He turned his bear upside down and tugged on its tail, under which was the cleanest fur that looked the most like it had when he’d first opened Cheryl’s box of gifts. Jamie held each piece of cloth to that section, carefully comparing. “It’s one of these two,” he told Becky. “Let me see.” Becky made the same comparison. “I think it’s this one.” Jamie eyed it very carefully. “I think you’re right.” He smiled. He looked forward to having a clean bear again. But he was still nervous about it. Becky waved to the saleswoman. “So enough to do that bear,” the woman asked. “Can I measure it, sweetie?” Jamie handed over the bear. She produced a tape measure from her pocket and measured it, imperfectly. “I’ve never done this before,” Becky said. “I mean, I’ve sewed, just not a teddy.” “We have a book we can give you, and we’ll get you plenty of extra cloth. I suggest making a small one from scratch before trying to make this fella a new coat.” Having made their purchases, they went back to the car, where Becky buckled the bear inside and turned back to the row of stores. “Let’s go find some fun stuff for you.” “I don’t need anything.” “Well, not now, but won’t it be nice to have some things at Manda’s so you don’t have to carry everything you need back and forth?” Becky long ago became a rewards member at A Little This, A Little That, and despite himself Jamie did like going to the store. It was as cold in there as the first time he went there, and he cringed as they walked into the air conditioning. “Wanna ride in the cart,” Becky asked him. “Sure.” She picked him up and deposited him in the seat. They never went there except Becky started at the outer wall of the store and worked her way in, at least waking past everything if not stopping to look at it. “You do still need a crib,” Becky mused as she walked past them. “I like that kind, with the rail that opens out instead of up.” He pointed to one. “Hmm. I’m not so sure about that after your adventure with the little extract.” “Well, doesn’t that just prove the rail can’t keep me in?” “Should I get a top for your crib then?” “No! I mean, no. That’s not necessary. Plus, uh, it’s a fire hazard.” “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t do that to you, unless you make a habit of getting out. What about this one?” She was referring to a blue one with a rail that could open either way. He didn’t feel strongly about it one way or the other. For one, he knew Amanda would let him get in and out of it from the front, whereas Becky would likely leave the latch that let it open from the front closed most of the time. “I like it, but shouldn’t she sign a lease first?” “I think she’s getting close. Just a couple more places she wants to look at before the two of you make a decision.” Becky plucked the tag from the crib. “So you guys got the little fee thing worked out?” “Yeah, mostly.” “What does that mean?” “It’ll make things a little tight, but we’ll manage.” Jamie hated that idea. He didn’t want them sacrificing for him. They did enough of that already. “What if Manda got a one-bedroom? I can just squeeze in there, maybe without a crib. I’ll just sleep in Manda’s bed. Or on the couch.” “Well, no way are you sleeping on the couch. I’m not sure you’d want to sleep in her bed every night. She might wake you up when she came to bed.” “Better that than spending more than you can really afford, though.” There was nothing Becky could give him that she wouldn’t give, but he had a point. Expense was the main reason Manda hadn’t signed a lease yet. They were struggling to find a place they could afford but that was in a good part of town and was a nice place to live. They also had to take into account the agency, and Marsha, his social worker, might have a problem with a some of the more affordable places. Not that they weren’t safe, but they certainly weren’t modern or very nice. Becky didn’t like them, either, not for Jamie or for Amanda. She took out her phone and took a picture of the tag, and then put it back. Jamie felt a little awkward. “How about a rocking chair, then. You’re definitely gonna want one of those.” “Yeah, but Manda should pick that out. She’s the one who’s gonna sit in it.” “You will, too.” “But I’ll be sitting on her.” Becky made a face at him. “You’re terrible at shopping, Jamester.” “I’m good at other things,” he replied haughtily. “We’re getting you some outfits at least, and some toys. You can’t say you won’t be needing those.” She steered him toward the clothes section. She knew he didn’t much care about clothes. He was basic, so she tossed some basics in the cart. Tee shirts in different colors with different cute pictures on them, a couple pairs of shorts, a collared shirt, some diaper covers, socks, onesies. When the weather turned cold they could find things for then. “What are you looking at,” she asked him when she noticed him twisting around. “Nothing.” “Tell me.” “It’s not a big deal.” “Then there’s no reason you shouldn’t tell me,” she countered, “and we’re not going anywhere until you do.” She was being playful, but she did want to work more on him saying what was on his mind. It seemed since the start of the summer he’d become more careful about that, and she wasn’t sure why. She didn’t mind that he had thoughts he didn’t want to share, but it bothered her, made her wonder if she was doing or saying things that made him feel uncomfortable. She chalked that up mostly to the self-doubt all bigs and parents experience, but it was a balancing act, and so was knowing when to prod Jamie and when to let him stay silent. Jamie blushed and wouldn’t look her in the eye, but he told her. “I was looking at the dresses.” Becky pushed the cart down the aisle toward the little girls’ section. “For Ella? We can get her a present. Which one were you looking at?” “Um, for me,” Jamie whispered. Becky wasn’t expecting that at all. He owned a few articles of clothing that had come from the girls’ section, but other than the styling they were all unisex clothes. No skirts or dresses. But the last she wanted was to make Jamie feel self-conscious or judged, so she did her best to cover her surprise. “Oh, well, which one,” she asked. “That one. The blue tee shirt dress.” He pointed to a cerulean, sleeveless, racerback dress. “It’s … well, Manda has one like it, and it looks really comfortable after a day at the pool.” He actually knew how comfortable hers was because she often picked him up while wearing it, and he loved how soft and light it felt. He reached out and felt the dress on the rack. It was just like hers, a soft, stretchy, jersey material. “Let’s get it,” Becky decided. If he wanted to try it, that was fine. She had questions she’d ask later, but there was no harm in getting an inexpensive little’s dress. “You like this color?” “Yeah,” Jamie said, “it’s fun.” Still, he blushed to say it. “Anything else you want to look at over here?” He was feeling a little more confident. He hadn’t expected Becky to ridicule or judge him, but it was asking for something, and it was asking for something out of the norm. He might as well try another. “I wanna try a skirt,” he said. “What kind of skirt?” “I dunno. They just look more comfortable than shorts when it’s hot out.” “So like one of these,” Becky asked as she pushed the cart toward a rack of A-lines. “Like this kind of material?” It was some kind of synthetic fabric, light but not flouncy. Jamie had hiking shorts in the same kind of material. “Yeah.” She glanced at the price tag. “What color?” “I like the print one.” It was a rust color with a geometric pattern on it. “Why those?” “They’re fun. All my stuff is boring. Khaki this and navy that. They don’t make guy clothes in fun colors and patterns. It’s pretty.” “Okay. Anything else, or are we ready to check out some toys?” “No, that’s all.” Jamie agreed to a few new toys. He mostly played with building toys and coloring books and art supplies. He let Becky get him some blocks, a new drawing pad, and some pencils. She walked down an aisle of traditionally girls’ toys as an experiment to see if Jamie would look at anything. She kind of liked the idea of him playing with a doll. She felt she could more easily share in that experience with him. She even had a box of her old toys, mostly dolls, in a box in the attic. But he didn’t give any of the toys in the aisle a second glance. She wanted to get him a drawing table, but he reminded her they didn’t yet know how much room Amanda’s place would have. She seemed eager to get him things, and he wondered if that was because she was ready to be done with the move or because she just wanted to get him things to try to make it fun for him. She did stock up on bottles, tableware, a booster seat, and diapering supplies for him. He couldn’t dispute he’d need those. As they were heading toward the checkout, he did tell her, “There is one thing I want but didn’t see.” “What’s that?” “A bike. I told Manda I’d help her learn to ride one.” “And did she want to?” “Well, she said yes. I think she’s afraid.” He knew if he didn’t say something, she never would. He was meaning to conspire with Mel to bring it up again. “That’s my fault for not making her learn when she was young,” Becky said. “I like the idea of it, though. She might like being able to get around without her car. If she really wants to we can go to a bike shop.” What Becky didn’t say is she wouldn’t get Jamie a bike unless Amanda wanted one or she decided to get one for herself. She didn’t think Jamie would be content to ride one around the backyard or slowly while she or Manda walked alongside, and she couldn’t let him ride off on his own. He’d get brought home by the police, or worse. If Amanda didn’t want one and Jamie still did, maybe he’d settle for a tricycle or scooter. At home, Becky sent Jamie to his room with his bear to get ready for his nap while she unpacked the car. Amanda helped unload, and much of it went into a stack in a corner of the garage. “Has Jamie mentioned anything to you about girl clothes,” Becky asked quietly when they got into the kitchen. She figured the answer was no. She knew Jamie shared things with Manda in confidence, but she thought that was the kind of thing Amanda would tell her about. “No. Why?” Becky produced the dressed from one of the shopping bags. “Jamie wanted that?” “He said yours looks so comfy after a day at the pool.” “Huh. Well, it is. Jamie’s a pretty practical person. It’s probably nothing more than that.” “He wanted a skirt, too, because it’s hot.” “See? Just practical. Are you okay with it?” “Yeah, of course. I just … I don’t want him to get made fun of.” One thing that Jamie hadn’t gotten better at since his arrival was sticking up for himself, especially with other littles. Jamie was so popular at daycare and the park and the pool that he didn’t get picked on often, but every so once in a while he would be, and just like when Amanda was young, Becky hated seeing it. “You want me to talk to him about it,” Amanda asked. She knew he’d tell her things he wouldn’t tell Becky. She knew what a rich inner life he led. That wasn’t the stereotype about littles, but almost all littles were regressed and incapable of the big and abstract thoughts Jamie, just like bigs, had. It was one of the things she and Becky both liked so much about not having an unregressed little. “Maybe just casually bring it up. Tell him you like it and see what he says.” “Okay. I’ll bring it after his nap.” “Speaking of, how would you feel about getting a one-bedroom, and he could sleep in your bed with you.” Manda wasn’t surprise by the question, exactly. She knew they were having a hard time making the math work with a two-bedroom apartment. They could afford that, but add on the little fee and it took a big bite out of both of their monthly incomes. It still frustrated Amanda – offended her, really – that the little fee was as much as it was. She could get four dogs for what apartment complexes charged to have a little in the unit. She had never paid it much mind, but the more she looked around, the more she saw the barriers that existed to having a little. It wasn’t as expensive as having a kid, but neither were there subsidies for littles like there were for children’s daycare. Littles were even covered under a different health program than bigs, and unlike healthcare for bigs, care for littles wasn’t free. “I’ll need to think about that. He might not like that, not having his own space.” “just the other day he did say he wanted more privacy. He’s waiting to be put down for his nap,” Becky said. “Where did you guys eat,” Manda asked as they walked to the nursery. “June Bug’s.” “Blech. Everything there tastes like little food.” She couldn’t fathom how but assumed it was because they didn’t use separate cooking equipment for big food and little food. “Yeah, but he likes it. Oh!” Becky stopped herself when she turned into the nursery and saw Jamie asleep on the floor with his bear and Kazoo. He’d gotten his pacifier himself, and she could see it just barely bob up and down between his lips. “Leave him,” Amanda asked. “Yeah.” Becky tiptoed to the crib and got his blanket, then laid it gently over the three of them. Kazoo opened his eyes and looked at Becky, then closed them again as he exhaled, the way dogs do, with a stretch.

Chapter 27 “It’s been two days, Jamie,” Becky reminded him. “It’s only going to get worse if we wait.” “But I don’t want to,” Jamie reminded Becky. He’d been pretty clear on that. “I don’t want to either. One more day, and I’m taking you to the doctor.” Jamie hated going to the doctor. There were too many shots and grabby nurses. “And they’ll just do the same thing. Would you rather have me do it or them?” That was no real choice at all. Jamie sat on his changing table naked from the waist down and didn’t say anything. If he couldn’t decide no, he didn’t want to decide at all. “A few more hours,” he whined instead. “No,” Becky said softly, “let’s just do it right now. I promise I’ll be gentle.” Becky lifted him off the changing table and put him on her hip. “Where are we going?” “Let’s do this on my lap. That’ll be nicer, won’t it?” Jamie’s response was to lean against her and grimace while she collected everything she needed in one hand. Sitting down in the rocking chair, Becky spread a changing mat across her lap, a diaper over that, and lastly Jamie. She set the enema bottle down next to her on the floor. “Don’t be scared, Baby Bear. Just lay back.” This was actually Jamie’s favorite way to get his diaper changed, laying across her wide, warm, and soft lap. But why Becky always felt the need to give him an enema if he didn’t have a bowel movement for two days perplexed him. Sure, it was uncomfortable being backed up, but less drastic remedies like a fiber supplement or stool softener never seemed sufficient to her. She always resorted straight to an enema. Jamie chalked it up to being another expression of bigs’ weirdness around Littles and their potty habits. It was thankfully rare that Jamie was irregular. The breast milk kept him moving too often and too loosely most days. While Jamie acquiesced to this treatment now, he fought it the first time to the point of tears for both himself and Becky. Only when Amanda pleaded with him, and held his hands - gently enough to be reassuring and firmly enough to keep him from interfering - did he let Becky do what she needed to. Jamie lay on his back with his arms folded over this chest and looking toward his closed door. He was embarrassed that Ella was on the other side of it somewhere with Amanda. It would have been easier for him if he were, like her, actually incontinent as Becky assumed he was. At least then this treatment would be something like natural, and he wouldn’t feel so ridiculous for being in diapers and being given enemas when he failed to use them for two days. “Okay,” Becky said as she took his ankles in one hand and the enema bottle in the other, “up we go.” She tilted him back, raising his bottom off the diaper under it. “Relax, baby,” she whispered. Jamie did his best to stay loose as the tip of the bottle started to work its way in. He clenched his eyes instead as Becky got the nozzle seated. “Gonna be a little cold. We’ll go real slow.” Jamie squirmed just a little as he felt the cool water enter his bowel. Becky kept her word and squeezed the bottle gently, letting the water very slowly drain into Jamie. Jamie couldn’t help himself and started to sniffle, with a solitary tear escaping his right eye. “You’re so brave,” Becky said. “You’re so brave. Almost done … There. I’m taking it out now.” Becky removed the nozzle and set the bottle down, lifting Jamie’s diaper between his legs before lowering his ankles back to her lap. She lovingly taped the diaper closed while smiling down at Jamie. She subtly cocked her right foot upward so Jamie was leaning back, letting the water move further in. With her left hand she ran her fingers through her hair, and with her right she rubbed gentle circles on his tummy. Jamie fought the urge to push the water right back out, knowing if he did Becky would repeat the process again. “No need to cry. Who’s my good bear,” Becky cooed to him. “Who’s mama’s bestest, most handsomest bear? Huh? I think it’s Jamie Bear,” Becky said as she picked him up and laid him against her chest. Jamie wasn’t sure what about the process, other than the discomfort, always seemed to make him feel emotionally vulnerable. He certainly felt scrutinized as Becky would keep a very close eye on him until he finally passed something. He wiggled and then leaned in closer to Becky when he felt his tummy cramp. Becky kissed the top of his head and patted his bottom, wrapped in an overnight diaper at midmorning. “You wanna go play,” Becky asked. It could be a while before it took effect, though she knew Jamie’s answer. “Uh uh.” He never wanted to go play when she game him one of these. “Okay,” she said and rubbed his back. “We’ll just sit here for a while.” Feeling crummy, Jamie stayed on Becky’s shoulder until he fell asleep. She gently lifted him into his crib, put a diaper cover on him, and left, quietly closing the door behind her and switching on the little monitor she had recently purchased at Stacy’s urging. She couldn’t believe she’d gone four years without it. Manda and Ella were seated on the floor playing keep away with Kazoo. An Amazon or little caught in the middle of keep away would feel so hurt and left out, but a dog thinks it’s the best thing ever, at least until he finds the next best thing ever. “Is Jamie sleeping,” Manda asked. “Yeah,” Becky said as she sat down on the couch. “He didn’t wanna come play.” “He’s still kinda shy about that,” Ella said. She had promised Jamie a long time ago that she would never say anything to Becky about him not needing diapers, or not needing them once upon a time, but she always wanted to. She liked Becky, she respected Becky, but it was one way in which Becky was a typical big to the detriment of a little. “Shy about what,” Becky asked. Manda intervened, saying, “Just about having dirty pants. It embarrasses him a bit is all.” “It’s so cute that he wants to be like a grown up big,” Becky said. She thought for a moment and said, “You know what it is? Sammy was over here the other day in pull-ups for the first time. Jamie’s probably wishing he could have big boy underpants some day, too … But littles are littles. We’ll just have to make sure he knows he’s our special guy, diapers or not. He shouldn’t compare himself to bigs anyway, physically,” Becky said. Ella concentrated on keeping the stuffy away from Kazoo, hiding the side eye she’d flash Becky if she wasn’t careful. Surprising herself, Manda said, “We could, maybe, try to potty train him, if he wants to, I mean.” “That would only end in tears,” Becky said wistfully. “He’s perfect the way he is. You, too, sweetie,” Becky added as she reached out to tousle Ella’s hair. Ella just blinked. Amanda sighed and ran her hand through her own hair before grabbing Kazoo and flipping him over, tickling his tummy the way she tickled Jamie’s. Instead of squealing and trying to get away, Kazoo’s eyes rolled back in his head and he kicked his legs furiously. They heard whimpering coming through the monitor. Manda started to stand up. “Sit,” Becky said, “I got him.” Ella watched the peculiar smile on Becky’s face as she stood and walked back to the nursery. She shook her head and pondered that Jamie, who could be so volatile at times, though less so than in the early days since his arrival, had turned into quite the cry baby. She didn’t begrudge him that anymore than she begrudged him the other trappings of littlehood, but she thought on how fragile his feelings could be at times, yet how strong at others. But away from daycare and prying eyes, when it was just his family, things like a little upset tummy were enough to make him weepy. It was like Ella’s mother had said about Ella’s father: men turn into babies when they don’t feel well. Becky even took to banning certain movies from the house for Jamie’s proclivity to fall to pieces at sad endings. The one about the yellow dog from his world had ruined everyone’s day. “Hey,” Becky whispered as she slipped back through the door and gently shut it behind her. “You didn’t sleep very long.” “It hurts,” Jamie whined. Now he was wishing he’d expelled the enema as soon as she got the diaper on him instead of letting it take effect. “How can I make you feel better,” Becky asked as she stood at the rail of the crib and reached down to rub Jamie’s tummy. “Ugh. Ugh.” Jamie tensed up, and Becky hid a smile, knowing he’d feel better in a moment. “There’s my good boy,” she cooed at him. “Such a big boy.” When Jamie seemed done for the moment, she lifted him out of the crib, placing him against her shoulder and patting his butt. “Who’s a poopy bear,” she asked, making him blush. “I wanna change,” Jamie whined. “Not yet,” Becky said as she gently bounced him. “When you’re all done we’ll give you a nice, warm bath.” She waited patiently, pacing the room with him in her arms, shushing and encouraging her little boy until he was all done, and happy to her very middle to do it, to help him feel better in his tummy and to ease the discomfort and embarrassment by her quiet voice and soft hands. Lauren and Danny could have the joy of watching Sammy grow up. Becky had the joy of Jamie never growing up, always needing her, always being her little boy.