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Chapter One Elizabeth Harris had a plan. Though she got the well paying manager job at the tech company thanks to her family’s connections, all of her successes since then had been due to her own talents. Mostly by being a hard ass, and sometimes deceptively exploitative depending on the situation. Leading with a stern demeanor and harsh criticisms for the smallest mistakes was how she believed she needed to act in order to get respect. Due to her youthful visage, Elizabeth had struggled to be taken seriously for most of her life. Her mother was quite conservative from a fiscal standpoint, and would often make little ‘Beth’ pretend to be younger in order to get cheaper movie tickets, meals, and any other discount offered for those twelve and under. Once in high school, she had been walking past her old middle school on the way home; she was flagged down and pulled inside for skipping school–due to bus rotations, the middle school students were released an hour or two later in the day than the high schoolers were–and had to deal with nearly half an hour of them chastising her and trying to figure out which class to return her to before finally listening to her and looking her up in a different section of their system. Obviously, she started taking the long way home. More importantly, that was when she put her foot down. It was one thing for someone to mistake her as younger; it was something else entirely for it to cause such a frustrating and humiliating ordeal. Ever since then, she started spending an extra half hour in the morning carefully constructing a more mature image of herself. Better make-up work than the simple applications she used to do, push-up bras with a hint of padding, and at least two inch lifts or heels to boost her height. Her bitterness over the middle school office treating her like a lying tween caused her to act a little more jaded and bitchy the next day, which only snowballed from there. Fast forward to the present. Elizabeth’s size hadn’t changed in the slightest, although her clothes and her personality had escalated plenty. The 23 year old wore professional business attire, and was not afraid to chew out anyone who looked at her wrong. She was also quite thirsty for money, and was more than happy to spend it as well. Especially since she had a company card and very little oversight, meaning she could treat herself on their dime and then treat herself with the personal funds she saved by using that card. She was poised to get a fat bonus as well. All she needed to do was fire June at the opportune moment. Due to some restructuring after a couple of promotions, the company had gone with Elizabeth’s suggestion to bring in June as a combined assistant/admin role. It was quite cost effective, as the 24 year old hire could just do all the admin work whenever she wasn’t tending to whatever Elizabeth needed. Poor June had tried so hard to negotiate a salary that was comparable with her old job, but Elizabeth had known she had been laid off from her former place of employment due to budget cuts. It had been easy enough to lie and say the lower figure was the best they could offer at the time. Between the young woman’s desperation for the job, as well as the vague hope of a future raise that had been dangled in front of her, June had accepted. The problem was, June was annoyingly good at her job. No matter how much busy work Elizabeth offloaded on her, she always managed to get all of her admin responsibilities completed in a timely manner as well. And then some. June really was making the best of her situation, and it wasn’t long before she lucked into being included on a large project that was going to be presented to an investor in the coming weeks. Instead of keeping her mouth shut and handing out coffees like a good assistant, June made some offhand suggestion that someone higher up the food chain than Elizabeth ended up liking. It was such bullshit. June was clearly busting her ass to come up with ideas for both the project itself and the impending investor meeting, and her assistant role gave her an unexpected edge as well. Since she was the one making the copies and putting the documents together, there was a degree of visible credit whenever she handed out packets and binders as things became more and more finalized. When all was said and done, it had been decided that June and Elizabeth were going to fly out for a week to try and pitch the idea. Elizabeth was still going to be heading up the meeting, while June would merely be present to communicate any of the finer details. Her fucking assistant, being sent on a business trip instead of one of the actual higher ups in the company. It was ridiculous. So, Elizabeth quickly concluded that the best course of action would be to fire June. At minimum, it would get rid of the girl who was dangerously close to being promoted from the subservient role she had been hired to fill. If Elizabeth played her cards right, maybe she could do the deed before the investment was fully processed and, ideally, do some creative accounting and take June’s project bonus for herself. On top of Elizabeth’s own bonus, of course. What she didn’t plan on, however, was June catching wind of her scheme. Firing someone without cause would open the company to a potential lawsuit, so Elizabeth had started laying the groundwork here and there. She never thought June would actually find out before being called into Elizabeth’s office for the bomb to be dropped. The last thing Elizabeth expected was for June to go down swinging. —----------------------------- June was hit with so many emotions when she learned that Elizabeth was setting the stage to fire her, probably the moment they returned from their trip. Shock, considering how she had learned how to anticipate Elizabeth’s every need as an assistant, all while basically doing a second job by being the admin for their branch of the company. Despair, in that she could barely afford the ever increasing bills; living in the city was expensive, and inflation certainly didn’t help. And frustration, because her boss was clearly doing this out of jealousy or something adjacent. ‘June, the assistant’ was being noticed by someone who had the power to give her a higher paying and more fulfilling position in the company. Rather than letting June climb the ranks, however, Elizabeth was going to block her in the worst way possible. At first, she considered trying to somehow save her job. Without any real clout in the office outside being an up and coming player, however, there wasn’t anyone she could turn to that might defend her against Elizabeth. So June decided to take matters into her own hands. If she was going to be fired and potentially lose the promised bonus she was expecting, then she really didn’t care if the deal with the investor went through or not. Rather than putting her energy into further preparations for the meeting, June started brainstorming ways to humiliate her boss throughout their travels. It wouldn’t be the same satisfaction as a huge bonus check, but she figured that she might as well get what she could under the circumstances. The beauty of being an assistant was that it was just as easy to make things go wrong as it was to ensure that they went right. June started by convincing Elizabeth to stay at her place the night before the two of them were supposed to fly out. She lived much closer to the airport than Elizabeth did, and it made more sense for the company to pay for a single car to be parked over the long weekend. Playing up the role of generous host and submissive assistant, June went so far as to prepare her own bedroom for Elizabeth. June could suffer through an evening on the sofa if it meant Elizabeth continued feeling like she had all the power. She also made sure to pick up a brand of wine she knew that her boss loved. But just for fun, she drank the expensive wine herself over the week leading up to their trip and proceeded to fill the bottle with a much cheaper alternative. Sure enough, June’s stuck up boss couldn’t tell them apart. Smirking to herself as she prepared dinner for Elizabeth, June made sure to constantly refill her boss’s glass like a good waitress throughout the night. By the time it was getting late, little Elizabeth had polished off the entire bottle. June could have easily handled that much alcohol, as she was taller than Elizabeth, which statistically made her tolerance higher. She wasn’t just relying on probability, either. June kept a careful eye on Elizabeth throughout the night, and could clearly see when her cheeks were flushed and her words had a faint slur to them. To Elizabeth’s credit, she kept up her overly proper posture and judgmental attitude despite how tipsy she became. At some point, she must have realized the wine was catching up to her. Announcing that she was turning in for the evening, Elizabeth got up from where she had been lounging in the living room after her meal and headed for the bedroom. June guessed that her boss wouldn’t be amenable to being seen after stripping out of her business attire, so she made her move before Elizabeth reached the hall. “Miss, wait,” June said. Though they were no longer at the office, she was still in full assistant mode for the sake of her amusing scheme. Not that it was an official scheme by any stretch of the imagination. June had only planned things out through the following morning; from there, she’d have to play things by ear. She did plan on tanking the investor meeting, naturally, but there was a lot of time between then and now. For now, it was still ‘Ms. Harris,’ or ‘Miss’ for short. “What . . . ?” Elizabeth asked. She paused, but barely glanced over her shoulder. “Do you want something to stave off a hangover? Just in case?” June asked. Tacking on the follow-up to avoid fully implying that Elizabeth couldn’t handle her wine, she partially answered the question herself by heading to the left-most kitchen cabinet. “I want your flight tomorrow to be as comfortable as possible, Ms. Harris.” It worked. Of course it did, since June had been handing her things for the last six months. In fact, she had been sent on a couple pharmacy runs, as Elizabeth didn’t want to waste her own time after work running such an errand. June had proven time and time again that she was a perfect assistant. Since this was the first time she had ever considered sabotaging her selfish boss, there was no reason for Elizabeth to distrust her. Besides, June was technically telling the truth. One of the pills would combat the hangover. The other, however, was a sleeping pill that was safe to take with alcohol. In June’s opinion, a full bottle of wine wasn’t enough to knock Elizabeth out. She wanted to be sure that her boss didn’t wake up until June wanted her to wake up. Elizabeth downed both pills with zero hesitation, then proceeded to turn in for the night like she had been trying to do before June interrupted her. The second the bedroom door clicked shut, June grinned. So far, everything was going according to plan. ------------------- “Miss Harris . . . Miss . . . ELIZABETH.” Elizabeth was jostled from her slumber by someone using her shoulders to shake her. Even something that forceful wasn’t enough for her to snap awake right away. “Mmm . . . ” she half hummed, half groaned. Her eyes felt glued shut, and it took an extraordinary amount of effort for her to will them open. The guest bedroom was dark save for a dim lamp by the door that had been switched on. As she came to, and blinked her blurry vision away, she saw that June was standing over her with a worried expression. Her assistant was wearing a blouse and a pencil skirt, and had clearly already showered and groomed herself for the day. “Elizabeth, you slept through your alarm!” June said, “We need to go. Like, NOW. We can’t miss our flight.” Rather than waiting for Elizabeth to realize the gravity of the situation, June yanked the covers off the still fully horizontal girl. “Come on, get up!” In case the sudden wave of cold wasn’t enough, June grabbed one of the young woman’s wrists and yanked her upwards and towards the edge of the bed. It wasn’t until Elizabeth’s feet hit the floor that everything caught up with her. “Hey!” she snapped. “Back off, June.” Amidst the rough way she was being handled, she hadn’t caught the fact that June had addressed her normally a couple times. For the first time since she started her subservient role at the company, June didn’t hesitate to talk back. “No,” she flatly said, “Making sure this weekend goes smoothly is my job. That means getting to the airport on time. Now go pee and brush your teeth, Elizabeth. I’ll throw our stuff in the car.” “But-” “Elizabeth. NOW. And hurry! We’re already running behind.” It was way too much to handle at once. She was still barely awake at this point. Freezing, too, with bare feet and with the abrupt loss of the comforter. Elizabeth was also several inches shorter than she was in public, including her time in June’s apartment yesterday, and wearing nothing but her silk pajamas. They were classy enough, but didn’t remotely compare to the professional ensemble of her assistant. Plus June was wearing heels, making her tower over Elizabeth as she bossed her around. Elizabeth reluctantly did as she was told. She headed into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, letting out an annoyed sigh. How had she overslept?! And how dare June talk to her in such a way? Elizabeth made a note to reprimand her later, but she had to admit that the slightly older girl was right. Missing their flight would look really bad to her superiors. There was really no rebelling against June’s directives when they were exactly what Elizabeth would do first thing in the morning. She relieved herself and brushed her teeth more quickly and erratically than she would do under normal circumstances. There definitely wasn’t time for her usual extensive make-up routine, though she could at least spare a minute for some foundation and concealer where necessary. About halfway through the process, June opened the door without knocking in the slightest. “Almost ready, Elizabeth?” “Miss Elizabeth,” she replied, finally catching the too-casual way she was being addressed. “Right. Sorry, Miss. Just a little frazzled right now.” She stepped into the bathroom, once again not waiting for any sort of permission. “Here, let me do your hair real quick. It’s a total mess.” “I can do it myself,” Elizabeth said. She had already seen her reflection, and was well aware that the pillow hadn’t done her long locks many favors overnight. June sighed. “I know you can. But you’re doing your make-up right now, and we’re way behind schedule.” She positioned herself behind Elizabeth and ran her fingers through her hair to work out a couple of the tangles she could see. “Wait, what are you-” “Hold still, Miss Elizabeth. This will just take a minute.” Not taking ‘no’ for an answer, June proceeded to separate Elizabeth’s hair out into three strands for a basic braid. Innocent on the surface, as it was an easy way to tame messy hair, but she was also well aware that Elizabeth preferred more mature and complicated styles. Her boss had never once worn braided hair to work. Elizabeth’s abridged beauty routine was done about the same time June was tying off the tightly braided strands, and then she was being rushed out the door. First, June told her to leave the make-up bag and her toiletries. Every second counted, and there was no time to pack up the bathroom. Plus airport security would be easier if there were absolutely no liquids in Elizabeth’s suitcase. June explained that they could buy the essentials once they got there, and Elizabeth could borrow anything else from June’s stash. It wasn’t until they were standing by the door to June’s apartment that Elizabeth brought up another issue. “Wait!” she exclaimed, “I need to change.” Not only was she still wearing her PJs, but it was also just dawning on her that she was currently bra-less. “Change into what?” June asked. “Your suitcase is in the car. Come on, Elizabeth. Put your shoes on.” Elizabeth bit her tongue about the lack of a title. Now wasn’t the time to chew out her assistant. That could wait until they were in the car. She felt absolutely ridiculous as she stepped through the threshold and out into the public hallway. Wearing heels with pajamas was awkward enough, but her designer purse was also meant to go with the outfit combinations she had packed for the trip. It didn’t pair nearly as well with her sleepwear. Thankfully, no one was around to see her. It was quite early in the morning, so she and June were able to make their way down to the underground lot without running into anyone. Temporarily back in submissive assistant mode to balance out everything from the last ten or fifteen minutes, June opened the back door of the car for her. “After you, Miss,” she said. Elizabeth got in and buckled up. She let out an exaggerated huff when June closed the door. This was definitely not the way she had envisioned the business trip starting. Meanwhile, June was circling the car and resisting the urge to smirk at how unprofessional her boss looked compared to normal. So far, so good. If June played her cards right, Elizabeth would be stuck as she was until at least the end of the flight. ------------------------ Check out my website: www.ladyluciastories.com And my Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=73056590

Chapter 17 - Completed and Ready The next morning, Darlene arrived before Avery, wearing a light green blouse, black pants, and black-heeled shoes with her hair up in a bun. She grabbed her coffee and began to go over yesterday's IT reports. Combing through them and looking for things that should be brought to her attention. She then got out her planner and began planning her day, making any adjustments to meeting times changes and deciding what she wanted to accomplish. Darlene was very methodical about this process every morning. As she finished, she started to type a memo to her employees about an IT policy change she would like to implement soon. While typing, she looked up and saw through her office window that Avery had arrived, set his stuff down, picked up his Lego coffee cup, and walked into Darlene's office. Avery said before Darlene could speak, "Good Morning, Ms. Malatetsa." Darlene was taken aback. This was the first time he had ever started a conversation. Darlene paused as she was typing to her department. She turned to face Avery as he was getting a K-cup from the cabinets. She watched as he placed the coffee cup on the small refrigerator, leaned down, and exposed his diaper for a second as he grabbed a small bottle of milk. "MGM." Avery idly read as he opened the top, poured a little in, closed it back up, and placed it back into the fridge. He seemed less stiff around here right now. When he turned around to take his coffee cup and K-cup to the Keurig, Darlene turned away quickly to pretend to type. She didn't want him to be ashamed about accidentally revealing his diaper again. Darlene pretended to finish her email and then turned to face Avery. "Well, good morning to you also," she said as she gave him a pleasant smile. What happened next was very unexpected when Avery returned a warm smile. "I won't be long. Just getting my morning coffee." Avery said with a confidence he had rarely shown before. Darlene thought to herself. "Should I push it and engage in conversation or just call this a win?" "I have to know," Darlene finally said, "What kind of coffee did you pick out?" "I got one of your Green Mountain dark roast cups. I have been enjoying those the best. Especially in the morning," Avery replied as he looked at the Keurig to see if the cup of coffee was done. Again, Darlene was shocked. It wasn't just an answer but an answer with reasoning. He would never have done that before. "I tend to like the hazelnut roasted coffee in the mornings unless it is cold outside, and then, for some reason, I like the dark roasted coffee." She smiled as she picked up her own coffee and took a sip of the warmth. "I never had the hazelnut. I will have to try that sometime," as Avery took his coffee that had just finished, blew on it, and took a sip. He started to walk out. "Ms. Malatetsa, can I get Christy a cup of coffee when she shows up to work on the program with me? I will pay you." Darlene was pleased that he even had the nerve to ask this, and there was the occasional eye contact before he would look away. "Avery, you don't need to pay me, and yes, please help yourself in getting a coffee for Christy. I don't mind since she is up here working with us. I mean… with you, sorry for the slip-on that." Darlene quickly reminded herself that Avery doesn't work for her, as she corrected herself. Avery gave her a warm smile as he left. "Thank you." It almost sounded like he was excited to get something for Christy. Darlene chuckled at this little boy's excitement over something so simple. She stroked her hair. I wonder what Christy knows and how that poor man is falling for her. No one would be that excited to get someone coffee. Avery tugged on the back of his shirt as he walked out, letting Darlene know he was still conscious about his diaper possibly peeking out, but maybe he wasn't concerned in her office, and when he walked out, he may feel more self-aware of it being exposed. Darlene told herself she was reading too much into it, but the conversation was a definite real improvement. Darlene turned around and started back on her department email. If one day had this kind of effect, what would Avery be like by Monday? It wasn't long before Christy showed up at Avery's desk. He smiled and stood up to greet her. "Hey, before we get started, would you like me to get you a cup of coffee?" Christy was taken aback by this behavior. He seemed chipper, and his eyes almost looked puppy dog-like... She had a hard time not laughing at him. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Uh, ok. I would love a cup of coffee; that is so sweet of you." Christy wanted to smack herself for the last part by saying it was sweet of you. Stop talking to him like he was a kid, and she had to tell herself he was only four years younger than her. Avery quickly walked away, tugging again at the back of his shirt. Christy watched, thinking to herself, "he just needs to wear a size larger shirt and tuck it in, and he wouldn't look so silly walking around everywhere pulling on the back of his shirt." She giggled to herself. She wonders if he even knew he was doing it now that he has been doing it for almost a week. She thought about telling him but then didn't want to embarrass him. He seemed so fragile, and he was doing so well this week away from John and his team. Christy sat down and started to boot up her computer and take out her notes. She had the awful thought that Avery may be taking a liking to her. He obviously hasn't had many girlfriends, if any, and she hasn't been interested in a relationship with him or anyone else since she got out of a relationship just a few months ago. The last thing she needed was someone asking her on a date. She pushed that thought down, telling herself that she was being paranoid. besides, the way he was acting was silly and cute, and she couldn't help but giggle and smile at that. When Avery stepped back into Darlene's office, he had a bright smile. He didn't talk to Darlene because Darlene had her headset on and was talking in between conversations on the headset. Avery pointed at the spare coffee up as if to say. "Can I borrow this for Christy?" He said quietly. Darlene smiled back and hit the mute on her headset. "Yes, Avery, you can have that. Did you ask what she wanted?" Avery blushed as he realized he had no idea what Christy wanted. Avery almost dashed out of Darlene's office, which made Darlene giggle inside. She had just unmuted her headset when she heard Avery yell out. "Christy! What kind of coffee would you like? And what type of cream?" Darlene almost blushed for Christy as he was shouting like a child. Darlene muted her headset quickly as she knew the people on the phone could hear that. "Just go back and talk to her. You can't yell at her across the office," Darlene said in an authoritative tone. Avery blushed as he realized he had done something that wasn't appropriate. "I… I… I’m sorry." He looked back at Darlene. "I am sorry. I'm so sorry," as he saw Darlene wave him away from the office like a little child. Avery didn't care as he tugged the back of his shirt and started to walk quickly, he suddenly remembered the diaper he was wearing, and it was possibly crinkling loudly. He forced himself to slow his walk back to Christy. His yelling across the office caught several employees' attention as they watched him go from a quick walk to a slow walk. Christy wanted to hide under the laptop when Avery screamed out at her. She, too, was blushing for different reasons. He came up to his desk where she was sitting. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to yell that out. I don't know why I did…" "It is ok. But what kind of coffee does Darlene have." Christy asked. "Ah.. ah." Avery closed his eyes, trying to remember. "Dark roast, hazelnut, a morning brew, espresso roast, blended, original roasted, and decaf," he paused, “And she had regular creamer, hazelnut creamer, mocha creamer, and French vanilla creamer." Christy was taken aback by how fast he went through all this. She paused for a second and thought and then decided. I will take the morning brew with French vanilla creamer... not too much, please." "Great, let me get it for you. I will be right back." Avery turned around and walked back to Darlene's office, trying not to run back to the office. Darlene was still on the office phone when she nodded, acknowledging his presence. Avery did quick work and grabbed a morning brew K-cup and one small cup of French vanilla creamer. He opened the Keurig and noticed the K-cup that he had used was still in there as he pulled it out and threw it away. He put the new K-cup in the Keurig, closed it, placed the coffee cup underneath, and pressed start. He watched Darlene talking on the phone with such a commanding voice to whomever she was talking to. He could tell she would be a hard person to say "no" to. The coffee finally finished as Avery grabbed the hot coffee and slowly walked back to his desk, making sure not to spill any. He carefully placed the coffee down by her and handed her the French vanilla creamer. "I thought you might want to pour what you wanted." He smiled and sat down, feeling the diaper underneath him as he sat and feeling self-conscious about it. He reminded himself. If he makes it next week without having any major accidents, he will go back to pull-ups and feel much better. Christy wondered what got into Avery. He was being so unusually chipper. He usually would want to get straight to work, but today, he seemed like he wanted something else. She found his behavior cute but unsettling. She didn't want to lead him on accidentally. This could be Avery’s awkward way of flirting, and she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. "OK, shall we get started? I have integrated most of your calculations." Christy paused as she pointed to the screen. “I made sure all the old code was out and then recompiled it with some simple formulas to make sure I didn't miss anything. It ran perfectly." Christy paused as she took a sip of her coffee. Avery was leaning over to look at her laptop screen. He could smell Christy's perfume or body lotion. She smelled rather nice, which made Avery a little nervous because he tried to remember if he had put underarm deodorant on or not. He couldn't remember. He was absent-minded, and it wasn't the first time he would have forgotten to do this. He wanted to smell his armpits so badly but refrained from doing it and instead enjoyed Christy's scent. "Then I started to add back all your calculations with the additional logic you gave me back yesterday. It was taken away because I found some programming logic problems but fixed them. It now compiles and runs without error." "Wow, that is awesome." Avery looked excited. "So can we give it some data to see what the final calculations are and if it is the same values I would get?" "Yes, I think so. If you can create a table with the input in a CSV format like this," Christy opened up an example file. Avery was excited to see his calculations and her programming would yield the same results. Avery started working on initial conditions to give the program something from the real world. He then did his calculations. After about two hours of sitting side by side with Christy, Avery downloaded his CSV file and handed it to Christy on a thumb drive. "Here, I think this should work." Christy took the thumb drive. "Great, I will load it up after lunch." She turned to face him. "Guess what I brought us for lunch?" She said as Avery smiled. "You don't need to bring me lunch every day." Christy looked back at Avery with a stern look. "Did you bring you lunch?" Avery was silent. "That’s what I thought, and we are not going to solve these world problems on an empty stomach every day." Christy leaned down to grab her insulated lunch bag. She took out two cloth napkins that looked well used and folded one out in front of everyone and one out in front of her. "Today's lunch surprise is... Toasted Ham and Cheese with a side of pickles if you want. And a mixed fruit cup." She places each item on Avery's napkin. Avery noticed that his sandwich was cut in half while Christy's was not. He had to admit, though, it was nice to have lunch and lunch with someone he was comfortable with. He knew he wasn't comfortable with many people. As they ate lunch, Christi started to chat about the program before suddenly ceasing. "You know, we really don't banter beyond work. Why not let me know what you enjoy doing outside of cracking complex math queries that no one else seems to solve?" she asked hesitantly. Avery almost coughed hard on his last mouthful of ham and cheese sandwich as Christy observed, feeling like she had stepped out of line. "There must be something! Do you like cooking meals? Exercising? Movie nights?" She said cheerfully. Avery stared at Christi's inquisitive face and paused for a moment. Her brown eyes sparkled with curiosity. Slightly ashamed, he stared at his food and took another bite from his ham and cheese sandwich. "Well...I really don't do much other than work and school." Avery mumbled slowly. "There must be something!" She said cheerfully. Avery silently swallowed the last piece of cheese before replying to her: "Walking? I used to love walking in the park when I was younger; I could take hours meandering through the paths around the river, examining bees hovering above blossom clusters or watching squirrels busily rustling for their winter stock of acorns in the oak trees." Avery thought for a second. "I do like movies, but I wait for them to come out on Netflix or HBO Max or something like that. Sometimes, I buy the digital copy if I can't find it anywhere." That was at least something for Christy, so we decided to go further into the conversation. "I like movies as well. What kind of movies do you like? I like mystery, suspense, comedy, and action movies. To be honest, I like going to the movie theater. I love the big screen and surround sound. It is so much better than what I can get at home." Avery ate the last mouthful of his sandwich and took a sip of his soda to wash it down. "Well, I like fantasy, sci-fi, animation, and action movies," he said. Avery did not mention that he also liked children's movies because they were fun to watch. "Well, it seems we have action movies in common, at least." He seemed eager about this because he blurted out, "We should go see an action movie together." Christy nearly choked on her water when she heard that. She had not expected him to be so forward and suggest something that sounded a lot like a date. His voice was high-pitched again as if he was excited about being able to spend more time with her. It made her feel touched and guilty for a moment because she wanted to be with him, too, but she quickly recovered. She stalled by saying, "Well, maybe if we can find the right movie and some friends to come along. Movies are always fun in a group." She hoped that the answer was neutral enough so he would not get upset or offended. Christy steered the conversation back to their work as best she could, considering how awkward it felt now. Avery seemed eager to talk about going to an action movie, but eventually, he got back on track. They discussed the technical aspects of programming and making sure that cancer cells were thicker than normal cells. Once they had finished discussing their progress, Christy took a deep breath and told him she would work on the rest so they could submit it in time for their deadline. She thanked him for his help while making sure to give him credit for his ideas in case anyone else wanted to use them in future projects. Avery smiled warmly at her, grateful for her hard work and understanding. Still, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that she hadn't taken his suggestion of seeing an action movie together. He thanked her again before getting up from his chair and giving her one last nod before heading out of the room. Christy closed her laptop and put it in her work bag. "Well, with these changes, we should be able to fully execute the program now and test it out at the lab. I will talk with Bryan about the next steps. I am sure he is eager to move onto the next phase." Christy paused. "I know I don’t speak for Bryan, but we couldn't have resolved these issues without you. You should feel proud about that", feeling slightly regretful for not taking him up on his invitation. She had enjoyed their conversations and was grateful for his help on the project, but she couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

Actually, reviving an old thread on a subject is OK in my book for several reasons. People will open it as they see the latest comment from someone so that makes it as good as a new thread. It keeps there from being 10 or more different posting and threads on the same subject, and members may want to go back and see what people have previously said over the years, especially people interested in the subject for the first time. For an example, it could be a thread on the best diaper had Confidry 24/7 as the world's greatest diaper 8 years ago and now others like TREST or Betterdry seem to be a better choice.

Chapter 3: Work... Little in Love 2 – LittleFallenPrincess I awoke with a bit of a hangover. “Ugh….” I groaned, finding a dummy lodged in my mouth. “Wai… when did dis…” “Well good morning, sleepyhead!” Charlie said, enthusiastically, from the doorway. Her upbeat, chipper voice grated against my brain and I wanted to screech. It was like nails on a blackboard. So I groaned back at her and covered my head with my pillow, protecting my hungover brain from all this enthusiastic torture. “Come on, get up, breakfast is nearly ready. Then we need to get you ready for therapy. And if you’re a good girl… I’ve got a surprise for you…” And as if someone had just set fire to my bed, I shot up and dashed out of bed, finding myself waddling out of the bedroom with all the speed of a drunk gazelle. “It’s amazing the speed you move with such a swollen nappy… all for a slight mention of a surprise…” Charlie said as she casually wandered into the kitchen, finding me sitting in my open highchair, waiting for breakfast. “I like surprises, okay?” I grinned at her. “How’s your head, pretty girl?” ‘She called me pretty…’ Again… very gay for my wife. Especially when she has this amazing ability to shut my brain down completely with just simple words. Without using hypnosis either! “Could do with some food and a drink, and then I’ll probably be feeling right as rain. I may be a bit of a lightweight, but I’m still fast at recovering from it, like I used to.” “Well good job I decided to make you a proper breakfast…” “Wait… proper one? As in…?” “Yes, the whole thing. Bacon, sausage, beans… I know you’re a picky baby so I left off the egg and the tomato, don’t worry. But here… let me just finish plating up.” Quickly plating our breakfast, she redirected herself and walked over with her hands empty as she grabbed the tray for my highchair and placed it in, locking it securely, trapping me where I sat. “You can feed yourself this morning, but you’re staying in there.” She informed me. “Okay… Mummy!” I grinned back at her. “So Eve was telling me she wants you to speak to someone new?” “Wait, she didn’t say that to me. Just that she wanted to try something new. She told you she wants me to talk to someone else? Is she no longer my therapist?” “Did she tell you anything else? She didn’t even tell me who this person is, let alone why she wants you to talk to them.” “Nope. I just got a ‘we should try this new thing’ and that was it.” “Maybe she got some specialist or something? Because whilst Eve has been an amazing Doctor… she isn’t a therapist. Not that that stopped her from doing it anyway.” “Maybe. I’m actually sort of excited to find out who it is.” I said, feeling good about today. “Me too.” Breakfast wasn’t eaten, it was more… sucked up. Even Charlie was telling me to slow down, that I’d get indigestion and stuff, but damn… it was good. Especially with this hangover, I needed to fill my stomach and this was hitting all the right spots. Finishing off with a glass of orange juice, I sat back and patted my belly. And then after Charlie laughed and pointed out how my stomach is a bottomless pit, she carefully scooped me up out of the highchair and carried me off to get ready for the day. --------------------------------------------------------- “Mrs Clarke?” The receptionist called out as we sat in the clinical reception area, on these slightly-comfier-than-normal seats. It was still weird being called ‘Mrs Clarke’ and not ‘Miss Clarke’. We had discussed if we’d take one of our surnames like straight people do, or if we’d do one of those double barrelled surnames like ‘Clarke-Williams’. I mean sure, it has a nice ring to it, but in the end we opted for Mrs Clarke and Mrs Williams. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, along with my favourite black coat, I hopped off the chair to my feet. “Here!” I called out. It was then that the usual door opened and out walked Eve, in her fancy suit and glasses, looking around until her eyes closed in on me. “Ah Liv! Perfect timing. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” She said, smiling and waving me over. “I’ll see you in a bit, sweetie…” Charlie waved to me. “Charlie… Why don’t you join us for this session?” Eve suggested, taking Charlie by surprise. “Really? I mean… I don’t want to get in the way… this is to help her…” “And I think it would be good for you to meet her new therapist.” “...Okay then.” Charlie said, standing up and grabbing my hand, smiling down at me as we followed Eve into the corridor. Walking past her office, where I’d usually have my therapy sessions with her, we continued on until the next door down, a room I hadn’t been in before. Escorting us in, Eve walked over to the empty desk in the corner. “Take a seat…” She instructed. Charlie and I sat on the big sofa in the middle of this gorgeous office. It looked a lot like Eve’s in fact, but it definitely wasn’t as it didn’t have her little personal touches like photos of Zoey and Sarah and her doctorate. Eve then walked over to the desk and seemingly talked to… someone? Like… I couldn’t see anyone. Not until the chair moved and suddenly a pair of legs dropped down, appearing in the little gap under the table. “Ah, so soon? Sorry, I was reading your notes on… nevermind. Shall we then?” Said a voice a lot less booming than Charlie’s or Eve’s. The little legs moved around the desk as Eve followed closely behind. “Olivia, Charlie… I’d like you to meet my latest member of the team… Miss Graves.” Out walked a very beautiful woman. Smartly dressed in a blouse and trousers, her gorgeous brunette hair pinned up into a bun, her beautiful eyes really standing out… but she was less than half the size of Eve. She was a little! Like me! “I…” I stuttered, unable to speak due to a mix of confusion and excitement. What I wanted to think was ‘A Doctor… who is a little? Someone who did that well and got that far… the world really is changing for the better! I’ve never heard of a little who became a Doctor!’ But instead my brain just… shut off, and it was like static was playing up there. “Hi! I’m…” Miss Graves began, before looking at me, confused. “Wait… aren’t you the…?” “Am I the what?” I replied, my brain finally working enough to form words. “The little from…” “Charlie’s book? Yeah.” I smiled, blushing. “No, the coffee sho… ah nevermind. Just my mind playing tricks on me again. Anyway, please let me start over. Hi, I’m Miss Graves, I’ll be your new therapist from hereon, hopefully. I can’t believe I can finally put a face to the name. The infamous Olivia Clarke! And Charlotte Williams!” “You know of us?” I asked. “Only from hearsay. Obviously we can’t trust the news, so I’ve never actually seen your face.” “Not even in newspapers?” “I don’t read them. Too much bias. Plus my Mummy doesn’t like me reading them.” “Your… Mummy?” Charlie asked, confused. I was glad she asked, because another second later and I definitely would have. “Oh yes, Miss Graves is an adopted little. But it was purely consensual. She got adopted by her Mummy and Daddy when she ran into an old flame of hers. Now they’re dating each other, adopted by their caregivers.” Eve explained. “Oh that’s an interesting story! You’ll have to tell us all about it!” I said, smiling up at her as she walked over and sat down in the chair opposite where Charlie and I were sitting. “Maybe… not that you’d believe it…” Miss Graves mumbled. “Huh?” “Anyway, I must be off. Got important hospital business. I’ll leave you in the capable hands of Miss Graves here. And Liv?” Eve looked at me, sternly. “Yes?” “Be good…” “I always am!” Eve laughed and walked out, leaving us alone with my new therapist. “So Dr Graves…” I began. “Not a Doctor. Just… a therapist.” “Oh… I assumed…” “Nah it’s okay, it was a big risk Eve even taking me on like this, but I’m good at my work and hopefully I can be a good therapist for you! Helps that the legality behind giving littles therapy is… muddy. And please, call me Elise.” “Elise? That’s my middle name!” I cried out. “No way! Small world, eh?” “So… where do we start?” Charlie asked, seemingly feeling a bit left out. “Well I’d like to get to know you both a bit first, if that’s okay? Get a basic understanding of what’s going on in your life, what’s bothering you, that kind of thing. And if you’re okay with it, I’d like to extend the session.” “Sure. Go for it.” I replied. And so we talked for a while. Charlie and I discussed our relationship, our difficulties, all the scares and everything… Obviously we left a few things out, like the existence of our sisters and everything, but hey, Elise isn’t in our inner circle… yet. Though she seems really cool, and very intelligent, which was nice. Plus I was dying to know what this situation of hers is with her girlfriend and her Mummy and Daddy… It was nice meeting another gay little, though this seemed really damn common in my little circle, it was like I pulled lesbians in. Like a little sapphic magnet. “Wow… you’ve been through so much. And hey, I understand how difficult all this is. You’ve had so much to process and it feels so… overwhelming sometimes, doesn’t it?” Elise asked. “I guess. Thankfully I have Charlie to help me through it all. You sound like you’ve also been through some stuff.” I replied. “Yeah. Though it’s a bit too weird to go into right now.” ‘Haha… weird… yeah… sure… as if she can compare to me finding out we have other versions of us out there…’ I thought to myself. It was at that moment that there was a knock on the door. “Oh… one second…” Elise said, putting her notepad down on her chair and walking off to answer the door. Upon opening it, she seemed… surprised. “Oh hey babe! What are you doing here?” “You forgot your Lunch. Mummy told me to bring it up for you.” Came a voice from the other side of the door. “Aww, you didn’t have to, but thanks. Sorry, I’m a little busy right now…” They were both trying to be quiet, but we could clearly hear them from the other side of the room. It was adorable how badly they were doing at the whole whispering thing. “Oh you’ve got patients… sorry…” The voice replied. “Don’t worry. Oh wait, one second… I need you to take something back to Mummy…” Elise said, turning around and walking back towards her desk. “Sorry you two, this will just take a second…” She apologised to Charlie and I. As Elise grabbed something from her desk, the door slowly creaked open, revealing another beautiful girl, one with warm, golden-brown skin, a dummy hanging from her dress with a dummy clip. The girl looked over at us as we looked back at her and her jaw… dropped. “FREYA?” She cried out, rushing into the room and standing in front of Charlie. “Fr… Wait, you know Freya?” Charlie asked. “You’re… not Freya?” The woman looked confused as she looked Charlie up and down. “I… umm…” “What’s up, Danielle? You shouldn’t be here, these are my…” Elise said, walking over and putting her arm around her girlfriend, before being cut off mid-sentence. “This is her!” Danielle pointed at Charlie. “This is who?” “You know… the one who… did the loop…” Danielle winked at Elise. “The one who… OH…” That’s when Elise’s jaw dropped,as she turned around and looked Charlie in the eye. “So you’re the one who did that to me…” “Did what?” Charlie asked, feeling accused of something that neither of us had any idea about. “But she had brown hair… not red…” Danielle added, looking confused. “So you do know Freya…” Charlie replied, giving me a quick side glance before looking at the two accusing us of… something. “Sorry, I’m confused, I thought you said this was her?” Elise asked her girlfriend. “I’m not who you think I am. But… I know who you’re talking about. So you actually met her? She was here? When?” Charlie asked this Danielle girl. “Months ago. She… looped the day for Elise so she…” Danielle looked guilty all of a sudden. “So that I would learn to accept that I wanted to be with Danny… to be adopted by her parents.” Elise sighed. “Ah… yeah that sounds like something they’d do…” I rolled my eyes and laughed with Charlie. “They? And wait… how are you so accepting of the time looping thing?” Elise crossed her arms at us both and glanced down with suspicion. “You two may want to sit down…” I said, smiling awkwardly. “So let me get this straight… you are ‘variations’ of these two… and there are other worlds out there… and… and… and…” “I know it’s a lot to take in. It’s why I left it out during therapy.” “Yes, but that’s also a lot to deal with! A lot of stuff you NEED THERAPY FOR!” Elise raised her voice, frustrated. “I guess, but hey, we weren’t to know you two had been put through a time loop like that beaver story from the other side of the portal! How were we supposed to explain the whole multiverse thing without you thinking we’re crazy? Just wondering… how many people outside of this room know about your time loop adventure with Freya and Ophelia?” “...No one. I didn’t even know it was caused by anyone until Danielle finally admitted it to me a while ago, I originally thought it was the universe teaching me a lesson. It was a lot to process at first, but when she told me she had made a wish to some fairy godmother person, it all fell into place. So wait… this ‘Ophelia’ was in on this? So that little from the coffee shop was her all along… oh my god…” Elise slapped her face in frustration. “They did say they wanted to get out and explore the universes. I guess they stopped off here again and saw a little in need. That’s very… them.” I smiled, feeling a heartwarming feeling as I was relieved the two of them were out there, enjoying themselves. “Because that’s very… us.” Charlie laughed. “So you’re them… but not?” Elise asked. “Exactly. Basic building blocks, but different outcomes due to genetics and upbringings and worlds.” “That's so… wow… like…” “I know, we were the same when we found out. But hey, the time loop must have been cool?” I asked Elise. “No. Not as a little. It was scary. Sure… I had a bit of fun with it. No consequences and all that… but some of it was pretty damn scary. Every time my mind got regressed, it’d loop. Still… if that hadn’t happened… I would never have this perfect life with my amazing girlfriend…” Elise said, grabbing her girlfriend and squeezing her, kissing her on the side of the head. Danielle squealed in delight… whilst also looking extremely guilty. “Sorry babe, I gotta go, Mummy is still waiting outside. She’s gonna be worried.” She said, quickly kissing Elise back on the cheek. “Ah yes, sorry, you get going. Don’t forget to give this to Mummy…” Elise handed something over to Danielle and I looked at her, confused. “Ah, it’s just a… drawing I did… for the fridge…” “D’awww!!!!” Charlie and I squealed at the same time. “Hey! In return for cute, babyish things like that, we get stuff like alcohol for our date nights and maybe the house to ourselves.” “Ah… that’s a fair system!” I replied, making Elise blush. Danielle grinned, before kissing her girlfriend on the lips and skipping out of the room, Elise’s drawing in hand. “So… back to our session… I guess you can tell me everything you’re feeling now…” Elise sighed before collapsing back into her seat. ======================================================== So... this chapter feels familiar... :3 Also if you haven't seen, I'm now up and running on Subscribestar! ======================================================== I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Please leave likes and comments and all that fun stuff, I love reading them! If you want to read the next 4 chapters, thanks to two weeks early access to my main story and also soon-to-be exclusive access to short stories (or even have a chance at commissioning one when I add the tier for them!), why don't you check out my SubscribeStar! The basic tier gets early access and exclusive access to short stories (when they're written), higher tiers will be limited but get a short story each month (1-2 per month in total). Thank you to all my patrons for their support over the past couple of years! Seriously, your support meant the world to me, and I hope to be set up somewhere new soon. New chapters of Little in Love 2 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!

Worst. Playdate. Ever. “Oh no!” Lindsay cried. “Not again!” You watch as Lindsay stands there, bow legged on the playground, yanking her skirt down as best she can even as the wetness indicator along her formerly fresh diaper turns blue. She looks like she’s on the verge of tears…again. Come on! It’s not that bad! You keep the thought to herself. Lindsay has been grieving lately. “Stop it!” Dave screams. “Stop it! Nnnnnn…” Dave’s protests are cut off by his Mommy’s nipple entering his mouth. Lightweight that he is, you know that Dave is going to pass out soon after his Mommy burps him. So much for that playdate. “Please!” Monica screams atop the picnic bench. “I can use the potty! I mean toilet! Toilet!” Her Daddy ignores her, as grown-ups tend to do and continues to change her diaper, a soft satisfied look on his face. You see Lindsay’s face wracked in revulsion in seeing Monica get her poopy bottom wiped and re-powdered. Yours is also contorted, albeit for a completely different reason. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. “Couldn’t he have at least taken her to a bathroom?” Lindsay wonders aloud. “Why would he?” You ask. “He doesn’t have to go.” “Yeah…” Lindsay drops her head. “Neither do I, anymore.” Her laugh is low, bitter, and short. You allow your hope to flicker on. Maybe she’s finally starting to get used to it! See the bright side! “Do you wanna go play or something?” you ask. Lindsay looks like you just slapped her “Play? How can we play at a time like this?” “I..uh..” “I just pissed myself! Everybody seems to think we’re babies and we still have no idea why! Dave’s getting breastfed over there for gosh sakes! Why would we play?” The beads of sweat you’re breaking out into have little to nothing to do with the heat. “I dunno. I just thought it could be…fun?” “Fun?!” Lindsay shrieked. “How could any of this be fun? We’re in friggin diapers! Dave is getting breast fed! Monica is being forced to expose herself to everyone! And you…did you just shit yourself?” Your cheeks flush. The word ‘just’ was doing a lot of lifting there. “Yeah…” you whisper. “Ew! Go get changed!” She takes several steps back from you. Her compassion suddenly kicks in. “Sorry,” she says. “Are you okay? You seem to have been um…slipping more these past few days.” You really have, though maybe not in how Lindsay is using the word. “Yeah,” he sigh. “I’m okay. It’s just tough.” “It really is,” she agrees. “It’s like we’re being punished or something. Like we didn’t appreciate our adult lives and so somebody took them away to teach us a lesson.” “Yeah…” you half heartedly agree. “Do you think we’re getting worse? Like, if we stay like this, we’ll forget that we’re really adults?” You shrug and say “Maybe,” to prevent lying. If only it was so easy. But if that happened, would they really still be your friends? You wistfully look over at the slide. Should have gone down that first. “I should go.” “Oh yeah,” Lindsay says. “Go ahead and get that taken care of. Don’t want to get too comfy in a dirty diaper.” “Nope…” You lie and trudge off to find Daddy. Lindsay throws her head up to the sky! “WHY ARE WE LIKE THIS?!” To all outside observers her existential crisis looks more like a tantrum. The better question is: ‘Why do they keep choosing to be miserable?’. All of you were run ragged by your adult lives. Lindsay in particular should have been happy to not have any responsibilities. Her deadbeat boyfriend turned it around too in becoming her Daddy. But she bitched and cried about her job all the time. The only difference between now and a few days ago is the aesthetic. You really thought they’d enjoy it, or at least give up on trying to figure out what turned y’all into babies; maybe give it half a chance. But two weeks later and their resolve has yet to break. All you wanted to do was share this side of yourself with them. Treat them to the nostalgia of Sesame Street and nap times. But they’re still resisting. To hear them talk, sleeping in a crib is akin to a prison cell. Being bathed, dressed, and fed by someone else is some kind of torture, and laying down for a diaper change is a fate worse than death. Yet Heaven forbid you keep playing in a diaper that isn’t perfectly pristine. Worst. Playdate. Ever. As you approach Daddy to get his attention, you notice that Lindsay has sat down on the ground and started sulking. That’s good, at least. The first time she wet herself she was bawling uncontrollably. Now she’s up to sitting and pouting while wet. Probably because her Daddy won’t change her until she actually needs it. You definitely like her boyfriend better this way. It’s progress though. Maybe a few more weeks of this and they’ll come around to the upside of it all. Then you can stop pretending to struggle, too. “Awwww,” Daddy coos. “Do you need a change? Smells like it?” He picks you up and grabs for the changing supplies. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up you little stinker.” “Yes Daddy,” you say. Then you remember yourself. “NO! WAIT! STOP! I’M NOT A BABY! I’M NOT A BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABY! PLEASE! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

I think as long as there's diapers in the story somewhere, readers here will like it.

This chapter is being posted early because I won't be able to post on Friday. I will however also post on Sunday! Chapter 66: Welcome ‘Home’ WE FOLLOWED SHELBY as she led us to where Grandma’s home office space was. The door was closed, so she knocked, “Grandma?” We heard the door beep a second later, “Hi, you three, what’s going on?” Sighing, I said, “We may have a problem?” “What’s wrong?” She asked, very concerned. “Well, it’s with our project?” Beth and I explained the expectations of the crew and what was supposed to be happening. Grandma’s face did not inspire confidence right then. “That’s really not a good idea,” she said after a few minutes. “I’m getting that,” I told her. “Why don’t you contact that girl leading the group tomorrow and ask if she can call me?” I nodded, even as Shelby made a face, “No fair, you get to talk to Charlotte Perez!?!” She was joking, but I got the feeling she was also kind of seriously jealous. “Somehow, I’m sure she’d be willing to meet you,” I said, “I don’t even think it would be an instant adoption, actually, either?” Shelby stuck her tongue out at me. I just laughed, “So you think there might be a solution, though?” I asked Grandma. “Maybe… While you’re here, I want to connect to your nanites. I’m still a little nervous about your sudden diarrhea earlier, plus the accident you had.” I blushed, “Me too…” “Just stand here for a second,” she told me, bringing over a tablet that she worked through some menus. I watched her facial expressions for clues about what she might have seen. She ranged from a no-worries face to suddenly squinting her eyes up and then, at one point, raising an eyebrow. “Got it! Let me look through the data with your grandfather. We’ll talk more tomorrow,” she added. “Why don’t you three head back downstairs? I’ll bring some more hot chocolate?” “Okay,” I said. “Actually… can you help me first with something?” I asked, embarrassed. Thankfully, Grandma was a bright woman, and she walked back to my bedroom and helped me out of the thankfully dry diaper to the potty. “Good boy,” she couldn’t help but say as she watched me wash my hands and then helped me back into a new diaper. “I’m not sure why you had your accident earlier. Hopefully, it’s just an isolated thing?” I nodded, “Hopefully…” “Go ahead and go find the girls!” A short while later, after sipping some hot chocolate, we returned to our private ‘theater’ to read the script together. “You know this script is horrible, but you two get to be in a film with Charlotte Perez! That really is amazing!” “If it didn’t involve being a little girl who never learns to use the potty, I think I might be excited,” Beth admitted. “She really is cool and not stuck up at all!” “You still have to show me some of her work tomorrow?” I told Beth. “You have to show him episodes of Life with Charlee first!” “What is that?” I asked. “I think you have a channel called Dinsey over in your dimension?” “Disney,” I replied. “We have a similar channel over here. She was on a sitcom that lasted from when she was four until she was fourteen. It’s why we all feel like we grew up with her?” Beth said. “Oh, that’s kind of cool… and creepy for her?” Beth laughed, “I agree in some ways. I can’t imagine having the entire world watching me grow up! They even had her have problems like bedwetting and a couple freak bathroom accidents at one point in elementary school.” She shrugged, “I guess maybe she’ll understand a little bit what we’re going to deal with here.” I nodded. “On with the show?” Shelby asked as she munched on some popcorn. “On with the show!” Beth and I said together, beginning to read the script as it rolled up the screen. MONTAGE OF SCENES OF MOM AND NEW DAUGHTER AT HAIRDRESSER AND LITTLES SUPERSTORE, BRIEF SHOTS OF TRAVELING TO A HAIR SALON, AND THE NEW GIRL’S HAIR BEING STYLED TO BE LIKE CALLIE’S. ‘BRIANNA’ LEAVES WITH A BIG BOW IN HER HAIR THAT MATCHES THE DRESS THEY DRESS HER IN SHORTLY AFTER THAT. A TRIP UP AND DOWN THE AISLES OF LITTLES SUPERSTORE FOR CLOTHES, DIAPERS, AND A STUFFED ANIMAL PASS BY. SCENE - SARAH’S CAR BRIANNA HAS FALLEN ASLEEP IN THE CAR AND IS CURRENTLY SUCKING ON A PACIFIER SARAH HAD CURIOUSLY GIVEN HER AGAIN TO SEE IF SHE WOULD LIKE THEM AS MUCH AS HER DAUGHTER. SEEING HER NEW BABY GIRL SLEEPING MAKES HER SMILE. SARAH GENTLY PICKS BRIANNA UP OUT OF THE CAR SEAT, AND THE LITTLE WAKES UP ENOUGH TO HOLD ONTO HER AS SHE PLANTS HER ON HER HIP. THE RECEPTIONIST SEES HER. RECEPTIONIST: “Well, hello there, Miss Ingels! I didn’t know you had another daughter? She’s adorable!!!” SARAH (MOM): “Well, she just joined the family this morning. She’s actually a bit of a surprise for Callie?” RECEPTIONIST “Oh?” SARAH (MOM): “Hoping maybe she can help Callie get the hang of the big girl potty?” RECEPTIONIST “Oh, so we have a new buddy, huh?” SARAH (MOM): BLUSHES “Yeah.” “Of course, everyone knows about the Potty Training Buddy system!” Shelby choked out. “It’s not cliché at all, huh?” Beth shook her head. RECEPTIONIST “Well, let me get little Miss Callie up here to meet her!” SARAH SETS THE NOW AWAKE BRIANNA ON HER FEET BESIDE HER AND WAITS FOR CALLIE. SHE’S PASSED THROUGH THE ENTRY DOOR TO HER MOMMY WHO BOTH HUG EACH OTHER TIGHTLY BEFORE SHE NOTICES THE NEW GIRL. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Who are you? You look just like me!” BRIANNA DROPS HER PACIFIER OUT OF HER MOUTH AS SHE OPENS IT TO TALK. IT HANGS FROM A PACIFIER STRAP THAT SARAH HAD THOUGHTFULLY USED TO CONNECT IT TO HER DRESS. BRIANNA: “Hi Callie, I’m Brianna.” CALLIE LOOKS UP AT HER MOMMY CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “She looks like you too, mommy!” SARAH (MOM): “Well, that’s because she’s your new sister, sweetie!” CALLIE STANDS FOR A SECOND, LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE BOTH BRIANNA SARAH WORRY SHE’S NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT IT BEFORE JUMPING UP AND DOWN AND HUGGING BRIANNA. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “I have sister!!!!!” THE CAMERA ZOOMS OUT TO SHOW THE RECEPTIONIST WAS FILMING THE MEETING ANDCRYING. SARAH IS ALSO CRYING AS SHE HUGS BOTH GIRLS AND SOON LIFTS THEM UP. SHE STANDS AND LOOKS AT THE RECEPTIONIST. SARAH (MOM): “I never had a chance to look at the TykeCare App. Did Callie try to use the potty at all today?” RECEPTIONIST: LOOKS AT SCREEN “No, she’s had three wet diapers and one poopie, but no potty tries. In her class, we don’t exactly expect any, though?” SARAH (MOM): “I know that - just checking. I need to get these two girls home, feed them dinner, and let them play a bit before night-night time.” SCENE - SARAH’S CAR SARAH CARRIES BOTH GIRLS OUT TO THE CAR, AND CALLIE RECOGNIZES HER OLD CAR SEAT. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Mommy, that’s my seat!” SARAH (MOM): “It used to be, but then you got too big for it! Now it’s the perfect size for your sister, Brianna!” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Oh, okay, I’m happy to have a sister. I’ll share toys, too!” SARAH (MOM): “That’s very nice of you, sweetie.” SARAH BUCKLES CALLIE IN FIRST SINCE SHE CONSIDERS HER TO BE MORE LIKELY TO DO SOMETHING UNSAFE. CALLIE SEES HER PACIFIER IN THE CUPHOLDER OF HER SEAT, PUSHES IT INTO HER MOUTH AND SMILES. BRIANNA STANDS ON THE FLOORBOARD OF THE CAR PATIENTLY BEFORE BEING LIFTED UP INTO HER SEAT. SEEMINGLY ONLY THEN REMEMBERS SHE HAS A PACIFIER HANGING FROM HER OUTFIT. SHE BLUSHES AS SARAH PICKS HER UP AND PLACES HER IN HER SEAT. THE PACIFIER GETS GENTLY PUSHED BETWEEN HER LIPS BEFORE SHE FASTENS THE STRAPS. WHEN SHE’S DONE, SHE CLOSES THE DOORS AND GETS INTO THE VEHICLE, TELLING IT TO GO HOME BEFORE TURNING AND FACING THE TWO GIRLS. SARAH (MOM): “So, how did your day go, Callie?” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “I had so much fun, Mommy! My new class is way better than my old one!” SARAH (MOM): “Oh? Why is that?” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “No one makes fun of my diapees! Everyone in there wears them! They also have more fun toys!!!” “Obviously, putting her back with the toddlers is working perfectly!” I said aloud. “Duh! If it wasn’t for all the bad things that came with it, going back to daycare would be way less stressful!” Shelby replied to me. “The price tag is only your potty training, dignity, and freedom?” “Yeah… I’ll take college stress!” I told her. SARAH (MOM): “Oh? What else?” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “I got to sleep in a crib again!!!” SARAH PRACTICALLY CHOKES THEN. SHE CLEARS HER THROAT. SARAH (MOM): “Huh? Why would you want to sleep in a baby’s crib?” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “It’s safer for us little ones, Mommy! I can’t fall out!” She pauses and makes a face. “How much gaslighting are they doing to the poor girl in that school?” Shelby asked. “A lot?” Beth replied. SARAH (MOM): “Do you need to go potty, Callie?” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): SHAKES HEAD “Nope! I just went, Mommy!” SARAH (MOM): “Callie, why can’t you just use the potty like a big girl?” she mutters. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Mommy! Does Brianna wear diapees too?” SARAH (MOM): “She does, for now, I’m hoping to potty train you both at the same time now!” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Icky, no wanna! Potty bad!” SARAH (MOM): “It’s going to be a while yet, Callie, we’re going to let you both take a break from the potty monster.” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Yay!!!” BRIANNA HAS SAT THERE SILENTLY THROUGH THE EXCHANGES AND NOW THE CAMERA ZOOMS INTO HER CONTORTED FACE AS SHE JUST NOW BEGINS TO REALIZE WHAT SHE’S BEEN DRAGGED INTO! “You know, if she hadn’t realized already that her life was over, she’s dumber than I think,” Beth said. “Yeah, my character is not exactly seeming the brightest here.” “On the plus side, I’m looking forward to seeing you two in cribs?” Shelby kidded. Beth reached over and started tickling her. I stood and joined! “Staaaahp!!!” Shelby cried. “I don’t want to pee!” A few moments of breathing later, the three of us resumed reading. SCENE - SARAH’S HOUSE AT SARAH’S HOUSE, SHE HAS THE CAR SELF-PARK INSIDE THE GARAGE AND UNBUCKLES BRIANNA, THEN CALLIE AS THE GARAGE DOOR CLOSES. GRABBING BOTH LITTLE GIRLS BY THE HAND, SHE GUIDES THEM INSIDE. ONCE INSIDE, SHE CHECKS THEIR DIAPERS AND LEAVES THEM BE FOR THE MOMENT. SARAH (MOM): “Callie, why don’t you go show Brianna the playroom, and you two can play until I have din-din ready?” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Yay!!! Come on!” CALLIE PULLS BRIANNA’S ARM PRACTICALLY OUT OF THE SOCKET AND DRAGS HER TOWARDS THE UPSTAIRS AREA WHERE HER PLAYROOM SITS BESIDE HER BEDROOM. SHE’S ENOUGH BIGGER THAT THE STAIRS AREN’T THAT DAUNTING, BUT BRIANNA IS SMALL ENOUGH THAT SHE HAS TO CAREFULLY CLIMB UP. CAMERA MOVES BACK TO SARAH, WHO GOES OUT TO THE GARAGE AND UNLOADS THE PURCHASES OF THE DAY. ONE OF THE LARGE BOXES OF DIAPERS IN BRIANNA’S SIZE, BAGS OF CLOTHES, ETC. ALL GET BROUGHT IN AND TAKEN UPSTAIRS TO THE GIRLS’ NURSERY, WHERE SHE HAD SOME HELP DURING THE DAY WITH GETTING CALLIE’S OLD TODDLER BED SET UP ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF HER NEWER BIG-GIRL BED SHE’D GOTTEN FOR CHRISTMAS. THE CAMERA SHOWS CALLIE ENTHUSIASTICALLY SHOWING BRIANNA EVERY DOLL AND STUFFED ANIMAL SHE OWNS. MEANWHILE, BRIANNA IS CLEARLY STRUGGLING WITH A DECISION. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “What’s wrong, Bree?” BRIANNA: “Bree?” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “That’s your name!” SHE SMILES BRIANNA: GIVES A SMALL SMILE. “I like that.” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Mommy calls that potty face?” BRIANNA: “Umm...” SQUIRMS CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Just use your diaper, silly! Potties are boring. Playing is much more fun!” RIGHT THEN, CALLIE SQUATS DOWN, AND BRIANNA’S EYES WIDEN. BRIANNA: “Did you just?” BRIANNA SITS DOWN AND HOLDS A TOY BOTTLE TO HER DOLLY’S MOUTH. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Poopy!” SHE SMILES BRIANNA: “I...” BRIANNA MAKES A FACE THEN, AND SUDDENLY, SHE BENDS HER KNEES TOO AND ENDS UP MAKING A MESS IN HER OWN DIAPER. SHE STANDS THERE OUT OF BREATH FOR A MOMENT. A LOOK OF SHOCK IS ON HER FACE AS SARAH ENTERS THE ROOM. SARAH (MOM): “Pee-eew! It smells like a stinky baby in here!” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Uh-uh, we don’t stink, Mommy!” SARAH GOES TO CALLIE AND PULLS HER DRESS OUT OF THE WAY TO SHOW HER DIAPER AND PULL ITS WAISTBAND BACK. SARAH (MOM): “Well, you certainly do, Callie!” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Well, so does Bree!!! She’s stinky too!” SARAH (MOM): “Oh?” SHE WALKS TOWARDS BRIANNA AND LIFTS HER IN THE AIR TO SMELL HER BOTTOM. BRIANNA: SNIFFLES SARAH (MOM): “Well, it looks like you’re right, Callie! Brianna is a stinky baby, too! Let’s get you both changed and fed some din-din!” SCENE OF SARAH CLEANING AND CHANGING BOTH GIRLS BEFORE CARRYING BRIANNA ON ONE HIP AND CALLIE ON HER OTHER DOWN THE STAIRS. AT THE TABLE THERE IS NO LONG A SEAT WITH A BOOSTER, INSTEAD, TWO HIGH CHAIRS SIT ON EITHER SIDE OF WHAT MUST BE SARAH’S CHAIR. ONE IS SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE OTHER, BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT BOTH ARE MEANT FOR BABIES. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Mommy, where’s my chair?” SARAH (MOM): “Right here, sweetie!” SHE DROPS HER INTO THE LARGER HIGH CHAIR AND PUTS BRIANNA IN THE OTHER BEFORE BUCKLING BOTH GIRLS IN. CALLIE BEGINS FUSSING. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Mommy, I don’t sit in a high chair any more, I’m a big girl!” SARAH (MOM): LAUGHS “A big girl, huh? I think my ‘big’ girl just went and made poopy in her diapee a few minutes ago?” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Mommy!” SARAH (MOM): “Callie, we’ve been trying to use the potty like a big girl for several years! It’s obvious you’re not ready to be a big girl! That’s okay, Mommy loves her baby girls! You and Brianna, wear diapees like babies, and now you can eat in your special baby chairs too!” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Bu...” SARAH MOVES OVER TO THE TABLE AND PLACES THE TRAYS ON THE GIRLS’ CHAIRS BEFORE BRINGING OVER MATCHING PINK BIBS THAT SAY ‘MOMMY’S LITTLE BUTTERFLY’ ON THEM WITH BUTTERFLIES AND FLOWERS DECORATED AROUND THE WORDS. BRIANNA MEANWHILE LOOKS TO BE IN SHOCK AT EVERYTHING AND JUST SILENTLY LETS SARAH VELCRO THE BIB BEHIND HER HEAD. CALLIE FUSSES, BUT SARAH DOESN’T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS FORCING IT AROUND HER NECK. THE TAMPER-PROOF DESIGN KEEPS CALLIE FROM PULLING IT LOOSE. SHE POUTS FOR SEVERAL MOMENTS UNTIL THE BOWL OF MACARONI AND CHEESE IS PLACED ON THE TRAY. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Maccy Cheesy!!!!” SARAH (MOM): “Like clockwork...” SHE MUTTERS AND LOOKS AT BRIANNA AS SHE PLACES THE IDENTICAL BOWL ON HER TRAY. “You okay?” she whispers. BRIANNA: SHAKES HEAD “No...” she replies quietly. SARAH (MOM): “A bit much?” BRIANNA: “You could say that...” “I don’t think she was this kind to Brianna in the first draft?” Beth said to me. “I just skimmed it before, but I think you’re right that there’s been some improvements there. I think Sarah just gloated over Brianna in the first draft?” “You can almost like the mom character?” Shelby said. “Almost,” I said. “She’s still onboard with taking an adult’s freedom away in the hopes that she can potty-train her daughter.” “And I kind of doubt her daughter is even trainable,” Beth squirmed as she said that. “It wouldn’t surprise me that they eventually discover she has a genuine medical issue?” Shelby said. “If so, that makes her mom even worse to me,” I told them. SARAH PATS BRIANNA ON THE HEAD AND GIVES HER A REASSURING HUG BEFORE SITTING DOWN AT HER CHAIR WITH A MORE GROWN-UP BOWL OF SALAD IN FRONT OF HER. SHE WATCHES AS BRIANNA GINGERLY EATS WITH HER SPOON AND IS COMPLETELY FREE OF ANY MESS ON HER FACE, HANDS, OR BIB WHEN SHE IS DONE EATING. MEANWHILE HER DAUGHTER CALLIE HAS CHEESE ON HER HANDS AND FACE, AND SOMEHOW EVEN IN HER HAIR! THE CAMERA ZOOMS IN AS SHE USES A BABY WIPE TO WIPE UP ALL OF THE MESS. SARAH (MOM): “You’re a messy baby, Callie! I’ll have to give you both a bath before beddy-bye!” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): SMILES “Yay! Bubbles?" SARAH (MOM): “Seems like your sister at least deserves bubbles!” SARAH MOVES TO THE OTHER HIGHCHAIR AND NEEDLESSLY WIPES BRIANNA’S HANDS AND FACE LIKE SHE DID CALLIE’S. BRIANNA SQUIRMS AND SEEMS LIKE SHE IS OVERWHELMED THEN. AS SOON AS SHE FINISHES SHE, UNBUCKLES HER, AND SQUEEZES HER LIGHTLY IN A HUG. SARAH (MOM): “You’re overwhelmed, aren’t you?” BRIANNA: (NODS) “Yes... this is hard.” SARAH (MOM): “Sorry.” PLACES HER ON THE FLOOR “Why don’t you go see if there’s something you want to watch on TV? I will take Callie upstairs to change her outfit since she somehow made a mess of her clothes!” BRIANNA: “Umm... Thanks.” CAMERA SHOWS BRIANNA WALKING TO LIVING ROOM AND MANAGING TO CLIMB ONTO THE COUCH. SHE TRIES THE STANDARD VOICE COMMAND. BRIANNA: “Mike, turn on the TV.” COMPUTER VOICE: “New user detected, scanning.” A QUICK FLASH OCCURS, AND AFTER A MOMENTS PAUSE, THE VOICE RETURNS. COMPUTER VOICE: “TV Protocols set for Age TV-Y. What’s your name, princess?” BRIANNA: “Ugh… Brianna.” SIGHS “Show me the TV Guide?” A CHILDREN’S HOLO-GUIDE OF YOUNG PRESCHOOL AND BABY SHOWS POPS UP WITH NO TEXT. BRIANNA: “Any news networks?” COMPUTER VOICE: “Those may not be watched without your? Mommy, sweetie.” BRIANNA: “Pennycade, please, then?” COMPUTER VOICE: “Pennycade Junior showing now.” BRIANNA: “I mean...” SIGHS “Whatever!” CAMERA CUTS TO SARAH CHANGING CALLIE INTO JUST A NEW T-SHIRT AND LEAVES OFF BOTTOMS. CALLIE SEEMS TO BE HAPPY WITH THIS AND HEADS DOWNSTAIRS TO FIND HER NEW SISTER SITTING THROUGH THE LATEST DIAPER COMMERCIAL OF THE BRAND THEY’RE WEARING. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Those are the bestest ones!!!!” SHE LOOKS AT BRIANNA AND GETS HER ATTENTION TO POINT TO THE DIAPERS THEY’RE BOTH WEARING. BRIANNA: “I’ll take your word for it, Callie.” MIDWAY THROUGH AN EPISODE OF A SHOW THAT ASKED THE VIEWERS TO TELL THE CHARACTER WHAT TO DO, BRIANNA CLEARLY FROZE. SARAH SEES THIS, GATHERS HER IN HER ARMS, AND SITS DOWN ON A CHAIR WITH HER IN HER LAP. CALLIE IS TOO ENGROSSED IN THE SHOW TO GET JEALOUS. SARAH (MOM): “Are you okay, Brianna?” BRIANNA: “I have to pee again...” SARAH (MOM): “You know you have to use your diapees for a couple more weeks until the daycare lets us try potty training Callie again?” BRIANNA: “Do I have to wait that long?” SARAH (MOM): “Sorry, I hate to do this...” BRIANNA: “Huh?” SARAH BEGINS TICKLING BRIANNA MERCILESSLY, CAUSING HER TO GIGGLE. CALLIE SEES THIS AND HOPS UP TO COME TO HER SISTERS AID. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Mommy! Don’t be mean to Bree!” SARAH (MOM): “Oh?” WITHOUT WARNING, SHE BEGINS TICKLING CALLIE INSTEAD AND EVENTUALLY ALTERNATES BETWEEN THE TWO GIRLS. CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Mommy, you’re a meanie head!!!” BRIANNA: “Uh-huh!” SARAH (MOM): “Well, I guess I am. Would a hot chocolate make it better?” CALLIE (DAUGHTER): “Hot choccy!!!” BRIANNA: “No, but I’ll take one anyway?” CAMERA SHOWS HER PUTTING THE GIRLS IN THEIR HIGHCHAIRS AGAIN AND EACH BEING GIVEN A BABY BOTTLE WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE CHOCOLATE MILK. BRIANNA MAKES A FACE AT IT BUT DRINKS JUST LIKE CALLIE DOES IN THE END. WHEN THEY’RE BOTH DONE, SHE WIPES THEIR FACES AND TAKES THEM UP TO GIVE THEM THEIR BATHS. A MONTAGE SHOWS THEM PLAYING IN THE BUBBLE BATH WITH SOME SQUIRTY TOYS THAT GET USED ON EACH OTHER AND A SCOLDING SARAH WHEN BRIANNA SPRAYS HER. THEY’RE BOTH DRESSED IN MATCHING DIAPERS AND T-SHIRT ONESIES BEFORE BEING PLACED ON SARAH’S LAP, GIVEN ANOTHER BOTTLE OF MILK APIECE, AND READ A STORY. CALLIE INSTANTLY GOES TO SLEEP AND IS PLACED INTO HER BED, EVEN AS BRIANNA SEEMS WIDE AWAKE AND HASN’T DRANK MUCH OF THE BOTTLE. SARAH SMILES AT HER. SARAH (MOM): “Here, hand me your baba.” BRIANNA: HANDS IT TO HER. SARAH REPOSITIONS BRIANNA, SO SHE’S CRADLED. HER FIDGETING SHOWS IT CLEARLY MAKES HER UNCOMFORTABLE. BRIANNA: “What are you doing?” SARAH (MOM): “Feeding you your baba,” SMILING BRIANNA: "Bu..." THE NIPPLE INTERRUPTS HER AS SARAH BEGINS ROCKING THE CHAIR AGAIN. SARAH (MOM): “I know you want to be a big grown-up again, and I promise you will be, eventually, but right now, you’re going to be my little Bree. Enjoy letting go a little sweetie.” BRIANNA’S EYES CONVEY HER NERVOUSNESS, EVEN AS SARAH BEGINS HUMMING A LULLABY. BRIANNA’S CHEST GRADUALLY BEGINS SHOWING SIGNS OF HER SLEEPING EVEN AS SHE FINISHES DRINKING THE BOTTLE. AFTER AN APPROPRIATE LITTLE BURP, SHE PLACES THE SLEEPING GIRL IN HER BED AND TUCKS HER IN. SARAH (MOM): “They’re right, Mommy’s milk does it every time?” “Ugh, ‘Mommy’s Milk?!?” Beth snorted, “Nothing original here at all, is there?” “No… Does that mean Sarah’s still giving her daughter breastmilk, too?” I asked. “Probably?” Shelby said. “There are a lot of Bigs with kids up to age five or six that like to keep breastfeeding them as long as possible.” “Doesn’t that cause potty problems?” I asked. “Yes,” Beth said. “If she’s never weaned her, that’s probably why she’s not in any hurry to potty-train.” “My character is soooo screwed!” They laughed. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks for reading! Please press the Like button and leave me a comment! I very much appreciate everyone who takes the time to press the Like button and leave a comment!!! Due to a busy week, I can't post on Friday, so I decided to post an extra one today and Sunday to compensate! Hopefully, my posting schedule will settle out again in the next few weeks. If you’ve enjoyed this or any of my other works, consider supporting me by purchasing copies of them on Amazon Kindle! All of my completed works are available here: https://www.amazon.com/author/babysofia (And if you do so pretty, please consider leaving me a 5-star review (you can leave the stars, and no public reviews are viewable then!))

Long time listener, first time caller! (I just realized how old that reference is. Ouch.) I hope that it's okay if I share this story with Y'all. It's been in my head for a while and I hope you enjoy it! Chapter one: John Smith was a thoroughly unremarkable young man. At five foot eight he was certainly not tall, and he was neither muscular nor scrawny. His tuft of unruly brown hair blended into the woods around him. He was never really an athletic person, and he could not even spend enough time sitting still to be called a gamer. He tried his hand at fishing because he enjoyed being outdoors and found that he was okay at it, but only rarely caught anything worth cooking. He tried cycling but never felt comfortable on a bike. John had only found one thing he ever truly enjoyed. Being outside and walking through the woods. Once his girlfriend of three years moved away for college, they promised to stay in touch. They were still friends, but left with little else to do with himself, John took to his only hobby with some enthusiasm. None of his clothes were expensive, and his vehicle was a thirty year old small truck that was only remarkable in that it still works fine. John had, in fact, only made one glaring error in his twenty four years of life. He got a job at a store that sells his hobby. He was certain that it was a good idea at the time. After all, he could get hiking supplies at an employee discount! His boss was a very nice woman that would offer damaged inventory to the employees after writing it off. With his workplace being closed for an upcoming Monday, and having won the lottery of having a Friday off, John found himself with a very rare opportunity. And with no one to answer to for the next four days, he was determined to try something new. John was going hiking and camping for three days. After he explained his plan to his boss, she cautioned him very sternly about bringing plenty of water, a compass, a map, and all the camping supplies he would need to sleep out on the trail. “If you are going to be out there for three days, you bring food and water for five. Stick to known trails, and never once put your camp knife down. If you see wildlife, you go the other way.” And so he left work with a dented wagon that was written off with large wheels to be pulled on a beach, camping supplies for several days, a small tent, and a cheap but sturdy ice chest with three gallons of water in it. Parking at a nearby nature trail and getting his supplies out of the back of his small truck Friday morning he tied a lead to the handle of his wagon and started walking down a trail that he had been down a dozen times. But this time was different. This time he didn't have to turn around after three hours and come back before it got dark. This time he was out for the weekend. So happily humming to himself as he patiently walked along the trail, he cheerfully picked up acorns as he went and tossed them to any squirrels he passed by. The squirrels wouldn't really care that he threw them acorns, but they were cute and it was fun to see them grab the acorns and scurry away with them. As the trail led our intrepid adventurer along a wide creek come mid afternoon he couldn't help but stop and sit down on his ice chest and take a break to eat a couple of granola bars and drink a bottle of water. He was so happy in that moment that he emptied his right cargo pocket of acorns next to a nearby tree and sat to just enjoy the view for an hour. Stopping to take a couple of pictures on his cell phone, he noticed that the trail curved off to the right away from the stream, but that the land by the stream was flat and wide open. So why not just walk along the stream, and the next day simply follow the stream back? So with a wave to a squirrel that was watching the intruder from a pile of acorns, he set off at a leisurely pace along side the stream. Two hours of walking later, the stream was very shallow. Barely even ankle deep and no more than ten feet across. And it was here in dimming evening light that John noticed something strange on the other side of the stream. The air over there looked … different. Almost … Shimmery? So, pausing to take another deep drink of water, he slowly walked across the stream, wagon still pulled by his belt, and had very little trouble of it. And there, several miles from any known trail, he found himself staring at … nothing. Or something. Everything looked the same, but that shimmer was still there. And what was more is that if he squinted as he looked through the shimmering spot it was strangely like a magnifying glass. “How does the air do that?” he asked out loud. And then he made another mistake. He walked up to the spot where the air looked distorted and shimmery. For a brief moment nothing seemed different … and then he felt dizzy. His insides felt like they twisted, folded, and compressed. It all came on suddenly, violently, and in that instant everything in his stomach seemed to take up too much space. And just as suddenly he was on hands and knees as everything in his stomach decided that it had other places to be. None of which were where he had put them. After several very unhappy moments, John stood back up, wiping his mouth on his forearm and looking around himself. Something was not quite right. The stream behind him seemed much larger than he had remembered moments before. The trees looked … larger. Why would the oak trees look larger? And more importantly … wasn't it just getting dark? The sun was now high in the sky. Taking a few steps he found himself slipping and noticed that his boots seemed quite loose. He had to pull all of the laces in as tight as he could and retie them to make them a bit snug again. So much for his good quality boots, the darned things got loose for some reason. It took several minutes for John to get his bearings and walk back to the stream he had just crossed. It didn't make any sense, he had just come across that very stream, and now as he looked back in the now bright daylight … it was easily thirty feet across and moving much faster than when he crossed it. Suddenly feeling very concerned, he decided that he had enough adventure for the moment and started walking back along the stream the way he had come. Back toward civilization, shivering a bit in the suddenly cold air. Walking back along the stream the way he came, but now stuck on the opposite side of the stream, John Smith was growing more confused and concerned as he went. He picked up an acorn out of habit, but this acorn was abnormally large. The size of a lemon. Why would an acorn be so large? Figuring this was some sort of fluke, he tossed it into the wagon behind him and kept going. After a couple more hours and several more freakishly large acorns, John felt just far too tired to keep going. He could see smoke off in the distance but he just couldn't walk any more. Despite the sun being still up in the sky he felt like he's been walking for twenty or thirty hours straight. So he found a small clear spot between some trees about ten feet from the stream and popped out his little tent, easily stepping on the stakes to anchor his little tent into the ground. He set about clearing a patch of dirt and using his camp knife to chop some of the large twigs into manageable chunks. A few minutes with his zippo and a pile of leaves and he had a tiny fire surrounded safely by a wall of dirt. Sitting next to his wagon drinking water and eating another granola bar, John started to doze off. After what seemed like moments to him, he opened his eyes to see that his fire had gone out and on the other side of the ashes was something looking at him. Something bigger than it ought to be. With a yelp of surprise John scrambled to his feet and fumbled to get his camp knife out of its holster and hold it up between him and the wild animal. Gray, and easily the as big as a medium sized dog, there stood before him the largest squirrel he had ever seen. And with its low body and nose working fervently, the squirrel was staring straight at him. After several moments of being stared down by a squirrel almost half his size, John calmed down enough to reach into the wagon behind him and pull out an acorn. The squirrel stared at the acorn now instead of him. Very slowly he leaned, holding the acorn out and preparing to roll it, the squirrel instead reached out for it, grabbed it and in a flash was gone up the tree next to him. It took a minute to breathe normally again. Now shaking and very confused, he pulled the wagon up in front of the entrance to the tent and did the only thing he could think to do. John freaked out as quietly as he could manage until he fell asleep hours later.

PART ONE Summer. Finally. And not just any summer. The next two months were going to be amazing for a number of reasons. One, I had just graduated high school, which meant none of the usual AP work that was required before the first day of school. College would present its own challenges, of course, but I could at least take a huge breath in the meantime. Two, our parents were going to be out of town for eight full weeks on a business trip rounded off with a vacation at the tail end. While I wasn’t exactly a party girl, it would still be nice to have some extra freedom. Paige was the only complication. My step-sister and I were the same age, and absolutely nothing alike. At first, I had been excited to finally have a sibling. That is, until we actually started living together. She and I were polar opposites, to put it lightly, and I was the one who was always stuck dealing with her since our parents were rarely around. I didn’t mind getting her in trouble for ‘borrowing’ my homework, or for breaking curfew, or for plenty of other transgressions. However, our parents were usually the ones who handled the punishments. There was no way Paige would listen to me, and it’s not like I could be calling our parents every day for help. As much as my irresponsible sister often felt like my responsibility, this was also my summer. Maybe it would be better if we just stayed out of the other’s way, and coexisted to the best of our ability. My friends could have the main floor, and she could have the furnished attic, or vice versa. I could always keep a journal of anything inappropriate she did in our parents’ absence, and report the notable ones when they got back. Of course, it was difficult to ignore Paige when she was already messing with my plans on the first day of summer break. It took three back to back phone calls to get her to pick up, and she didn’t answer the last one until the fifth ring or so. “What’s up, Alyssa?” she asked, “Are you dying or something?” “No. Paige, you said you’d pick me up at four. It’s nearly 4:20.” Unfortunately, we only had one car between the two of us, and it had gradually defaulted to being ‘hers.’ I had so many after school activities that I usually got a ride from a friend. The more I didn’t drive our car, the more ownership Paige felt, which made things frustrating when I eventually did need it. Like after my ballet class, where I didn’t really know any of the other girls that well. I offered to drop my sister off at home first, but she insisted that it would be easier for her to drive and swing by the studio on the way back to the house. Except, as expected, she clearly didn’t keep track of time, and now I was stranded without a ride. “Ooh, 4:20?” she giggled, “That means it’s time for something else. Sorry, you’ll have to wait a little longer. Actually, why don’t you just get someone else to drive you? I’m comfortable, and I really don't want to put a bra back on.” “Paige, I’m the last one here! Come on, it’ll just take a minute.” “Hmm, let me think. How about . . . No. You can walk.” “What? No! Paige, it’s hot, and-” “Tough, little sis. Use the time to think about how you should stop being a stuck-up brat and an obnoxious tattletale. Bye, Alyssa!” “Wait-” Before I could get past the first word, I heard the low beep of her ending the call. Groaning in frustration, I re-dialed twice to no avail. After sending a very pointed text that included a threat to get our parents involved, I leaned against the nearest wall and scrolled through my contacts to see if there was anyone I could think of that might be both free at the moment and close enough to the studio. Aside from it being hot, I was also going to tell Paige that it would be about an hour’s walk back to the house. Thankfully, I had shorts and a tank top to wear over my leotard, but I’d still rather avoid such a long commute. And yet, that’s what I ended up doing. I figured it made more sense, as otherwise I would potentially spend even more time in the sun calling various friends and waiting for them to get their shoes on and drive over. Paige’s parting words echoed in my head as I began the walk. That attitude towards me was exactly why there was no way I’d ever succeed in getting her to listen to anything I said. My driver’s license said that I was five feet tall, but the truth was that I hadn’t even made it that far yet. Standing at a painfully under average 4’11 and ¾, pulling off ‘intimidating’ was an impossible task, especially against my sister who seemed to grow another inch every year. Even when I wore heels and she was barefoot, Paige towered over me. Her body was a lot more womanly as well, while I was stuck looking like a tween who had barely started developing. It was fine at school, as my nice outfits worked wonders in offsetting my unfortunately tiny body, but ballet was a prime example of times when I had a lot less going for me. In just a leotard and with pinned up hair, I was constantly mistaken for one of the younger girls any time the studio hired a new teacher or assistant. And, while my classmates respected me and didn’t care about my size, the same couldn’t be said for my sister. She was only a month older than me, but acted like it was years thanks to the way she looked in comparison. Silver lining, there were advantages to being a small dancer. So far, that was about the only perk I had been able to find as the shortest person I knew. Little did I know, however, that my size was about to work against me in a way I never would have imagined. ------------------- Check out my website: www.ladyluciastories.com And my Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=73056590

Going to use this thread to share some flash fictions over time. At about the same rate that I release them over on my patreon. What Dreams May Come A sound, like rushing water awakens you. You’re awake. You’re in a crib. You’re wearing a diaper. It’s soaked and your bladder is empty. This is not surprising. You went to sleep in this crib. It’s no wonder you should wake up in it. Same for the diaper. It wasn’t wet when you fell asleep, (not that wet anyways) but it’s present condition is just the natural consequence of the passage of time. You sit up and yawn away the last of the dream stuff. Absent-mindedly, you wonder if that squish beneath your bottom is poop or not. It’s so hard to tell first thing in the morning when everything between your legs is wet and squishy. It’s shocking just how routine this all has become. There was time when you would have balked at all of this. Now you just accept it. Mommy comes into the room. “Good morning, baby!” she coos at you through your crib bars. “Did you sleep well? Have pleasant dreams?” You smile softly, demurely, as you give a pleasant chirp of ‘Yes Mommy!” “Wonderful!” she says. “Let’s get you changed and ready for the day.” She lowers the crib bars and you climb out only so that you can climb back onto the changing table. “Such a good baby!” You are a good baby. A very good one. It’s something that you’ve worked hard at. So very hard. You haven’t had any other choice. It’s not up to you. Nothing is. You struggled at first, but Mommy made it very clear very quickly that you could fight as much as you wanted, but it wouldn’t stop you from becoming her good baby. “After we get you dressed for the day,” Mommy says pulling the safety strap over your chest. “We’ll get you some breakfast, and then we’ll go to the park to play. Maybe Margaret will be there!” Margaret is your best friend. Your Mommy and hers had decided it. You didn’t much care for her, to be honest, but you didn’t have much choice in the matter. You don’t feed yourself. You don’t dress yourself. You don’t decide where you go, who you spend time with or for how long. The only freedom you have left is in your dreams. In your dreams you can be anything. When you’re awake, the only thing you can be is a dumb baby. Mommy’s working extra hard on unteaching you your FZY’s. Mommy is a very good teacher… Mommy tears open the tapes on your diaper and starts to clean you up. “Oh wow!” she gushes. “Such a wet baby!” She drags the cold wet baby wipe across your front and between your legs. “I bet someone was dreaming about going for a swim!” You open your mouth to tell her what you were actually dreaming about. You can’t remember, though. It was so vivid, too, you’re sure! Cold wipes on your bottom and Mommy’s cooing makes it so hard to concentrate! Just then, Bobby walks in. Bobby is your big brother, but not so big that you don’t have to share a room together. Bobby has a big kid bed that looks like a racecar. Sometimes Mommy asks him what he wants to do instead of telling him. Billy can feed himself and dress himself. Presently, he’s doing just that. You watch enviously from the changing table while Bobby takes his pajamas off, all by himself. You stare while he strips down and takes out a pair of underwear out of the top drawer of his dresser and steps into it, easy as pie. Suddenly you realize the sound that woke you up was the sound of Bobby flushing the toilet, and your blood turns hot. Mommy is busy unfolding a diaper and slipping it underneath your hips. “Mommy,” you ask. “When will I be ready to use the potty?” “Oh,” she says, pausing for just a moment. “Probably never.” She grabs the bottle of baby powder and dusts your privates with it. “But why?” You ask. “Because you’re just a baby.” Mommy says. “Babies don’t use the potty, do they?” Bobby used to be a baby. You know. You got here first. But for some reason, Bobby’s been allowed to grow up when you haven’t. Again. Grow up again. You already grew up once. It’s weird how you have to remind yourself lately. So much of your old life before Mommy feels like a dream; an elaborate fanfiction that you wrote yourself. Everything from before feels less real as Mommy spreads your legs and pulls the fresh, thick, poofy, crinkly diaper that prevents your knees from touching and forces you to walk with a waddle 24/7. It is only the first of the day. It will not be the last. You can’t remember the last time you got to wear underwear; real underwear; the kind that couldn’t be seen from space. It was only an academic memory by this point. You lift your head up to examine the decorations of the diaper Mommy just put you in. It has balloons on the front. The one you woke up in had pictures of sleeping kitty cats. Depending on what Mommy feels like, you might find yourself in a diaper decorated with nursery rhyme characters or one with fishes swimming. You don’t even get to decide your diaper decorations! Meanwhile, Bobby would get to wear those jungle safari themed undies all day long. “Oh!” you gasp. “Mommy! I remember what I was dreaming about?” “Oh?” She chuckles, “What was your dream, baby?” She undoes the strap and helps you sit up. Your thoughts suddenly feel as crisp as the new padding wrapped around your hips. “I was on safari!” you exclaim. “I was hunting big game!” “That sounds nice,” Mommy says, pulling your sleep shirt up over your head. “What game? Checkers?” “No!” You correct her. “Like I was shooting animals and stuff! Lions and tigers and bears!” “Oh my!” Mommy replies. “Are you sure you were on safari? Maybe you were just dreaming about going to the zoo?” “I’m sure,” you say. Bobby has already gotten dressed and walked away. You’re still nude except for the padding. “It was awesome!” Talking about your dreams was one of the few things you could freely do. “Was I there?” Mommy asked. “No,” you proudly exclaim. “Just me.” “But if you were in the jungle hunting animals,” Mommy teases, “who would be there to change your diaper?” That was the best part about the dream! About all your dreams! “I wasn’t…!” Except you were. You immediately remember the dream. You picture yourself wearing a helmet. A pith helmet, you think it’s called. And one of those khaki button up shirts that people always wore in the cartoons and movies. Boots too. But between the shirt and the boots, was your diaper. Just your diaper. No pants. No belt. Nothing. And right beside you, holding your hand, was Mommy. Even in your dreams you couldn’t get out of diapers. Even asleep you were with your Mommy. There was no escape. No freedom, even in your subconscious. A terrible melancholy comes over you. Were you ever actually an adult? Or have you just been fooling yourself with your dreams and they’re now finally telling you the truth about yourself. “So,” Mommy says. “What do you want to wear today?” “I don’t know,” you mumble, trying not to sob. “I’m just a baby. You pick, please.” “Of course, baby,” Mommy smiles. “Of course.”

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Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I really wanted to last night, but I need to add a few bits before I started editing it, and it took me about five minutes to write one sentence, and then another ten to finish the paragraph. Needless to say, I was way too tired to finish this chapter up last night. That being said, I am also hard at work at my next chapter. It should be good to go by tonight and a good place to stop, but if not, I will post another announcement talking about my upcoming break. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Chapter 12: Spring Awakenings The beauty of the daycare shone brightly all around us. My friends and I had never been so happy, and all just felt right with the world for once. After all this time on this mission… all the tears… the agony… those stupid and seemingly pointless debriefings with that know-nothing Amy, I finally felt happy. My friends and I played freely amongst the swings without a care in the world after testing day. The questions felt harder today, but again, it didn’t matter. Only Kelsey, Bea, and Jasper mattered. We mourned the loss of our little friend, but everyone said that I basically just replaced him and that was just how things went around here. I wasn’t sure exactly what they meant by ‘replacing’ him, but the swing set was just too fun to really dwell on those types of thoughts anymore. “Go higher, Meggy!” Kelsey tried to convince me. “I already am! I don’t want to touch the moon or anything. You can’t breathe up there,” I tried to justify. In truth, I really just didn’t want to go any higher, but I couldn’t let my friend beat me. Hopefully, she wouldn’t edge me out any higher. “Oh no!” she cried. “I need to breathe! We should just stay where we are then.” WE played happily for a moment, until we heard our friend speak up from down below. “You all could just wear invisible breathing helmets…” Bea said as she swung low on the swings, her legs not carrying the strength they used to in order to push her further. Soon, she would likely need to just be pushed. ‘What a baby… unlike us! We’re big girls!’ Kelsey looked at me and only smiled in a peculiar sort of way. “Nah. Thanks, Bea, but I think I’m going to stay on the ground more or less with Meggy today.” I then realized what was happening. ‘She knew…’ We swung a little more, and as soon as Bea had turned back to trying to coordinate well enough to not fall off her swing, I turned to Kelsey and whispered. “Thanks Kelsey. It means a lot for you to stay down today with me.” She then winked at me and whispered back. “No problem, Meggy. After all, that’s what friends are for.” We then started to gossip about the other Littles around us or what we would do if we ever left this place or our… caregivers. She wanted to grow vegetables somewhere remote… I wanted to build a castle. Humility or earthliness aside, my idea was better, but I didn’t tell her that. An hour of jokes, gossiping, and swinging or rolling around in the grass later, Mrs. Louder called us in. “You girls have fun?” she asked us sweetly as she inspected our shoes and clothing to ensure we didn’t track any mud on the floor once we were all back inside. “Yes, Mrs. Louder,” Kelsey said quickly. “Uh huh,” I agreed. “The swings were extra fun today!” “I’m so glad to hear that, girls.” She then turned to Bea, who seemed to be fidgeting around with her dress. “Bea? What did you like?” “I… uh… I…” she stuttered as she then blushed as her hand glanced the back of her outfit. ‘Uh oh…’ I had seen that face plenty of times before. Bea had made a stinky and was now only just realizing it. It didn’t take long for the smell to reach our noses. “Oh, pee yew, Bea! What are you eating?” Kelsey exclaimed as she plugged her nose with one hand and waved her other rapidly in front of the air to clear it of the noxious fumes now emanating from our friend. “Now, girls,” Mrs. Louder warned, “You know she can’t help it.” “Yes, Mrs. Louder,” we said resignedly in unison. Being in a daycare full of un-potty-trained Littles, we had heard the same speech about a billion times before. “Good, now, I’m going to…” she then paused and looked right behind us. “Oh Mrs. Harrington. I didn’t see you there. Is everything okay?” She only blinked once while still wearing her perpetual scowl. “I need to see Megan right away,” she replied sternly. “Oh. You mean…?” Mrs. Louder didn’t finish her question, but Mrs. Harrington only nodded. “Okay… I’m sorry girls, but Megan, you need to go with Mrs. Harrington right now.” “But… I…” I only managed to make out before Mrs. Harrington quickly snatched my hand and led me away. After, I was too shocked and scared to say anything, and the only sounds that could be heard were my diaper quickly being used. Apparently, Mrs. Harrington had only exacerbated my problem these days… ‘Stupid diapers and not making it to the potty… Where’s Jenn to help me out when I need her most?’ I was then dragged into a room I had never been to before, but I could clearly see a gigantic machine in the middle of the room. Before I could ask why I was in this room and what the machine was, Mrs. Louder used her deceptively strong body and quickly plopped me into the previously empty and plastic-coated seat. Straps were applied all over my body and soon, I couldn’t move an inch below my chin. “Please… let me go, Mrs. Harrington. I was a good girl for you… please.” I begged and pleaded but she just hunched over the controls nearby like some demonic carrion bird. Horrifically, she then turned to me and smiled for a moment before flicking on one of the switches. “Ahhh!” Immense bolts of pain shot through my system. I went rigid and then began to spasm. My diaper grew warmer, and my head grew thicker… I was having a hard time acting… thinking… like a big girl… Mrs. Harrington then looked back over me. “A good girl, you say?” She then began clacking her sinisterly long and painted red nails together. “That’s not what we’ve been hearing, but it makes no difference now. All you Littles are such fibbers! That’s why we made this machine.” She then walked over and stroked the shiny curved steel side of it above my head. “Took forever, but it pushes through everything that you all fibbers come along with… even specialized medications.” I gulped immediately as she looked down at me. ‘She knew! Who spilled my secret? What was she going to do with me? Why did I suddenly want to start sucking my thumb in public instead of just in private as I had been since last June?’ Amassed in my own thoughts, I didn’t see Mrs. Harrington soon walk over to the door and open it carefully before another figure then walked in. “Megan,” she began, “this is Dr. Hurtsalot. He’s here to begin you’re questioning.” The doctor was already wearing a surgeon’s mask and then practically waddled over to me. He seemed way too happy right now. “Ah! Another Little for me to play with… you shouldn’t have, Mrs. Harrington! It’s not my birthday for another month!” Mrs. Harrington chuckled. “Oh, stop that! This one is just special. She’s with…” she then jerked her head toward the door and a sound of distant screaming I had just noticed, “… well, you know…” The doctor’s cheeks rose as if he was suddenly smiling underneath his mask. “Oh, indeed I do. Let’s bring her in, shall we? They are a pair after all.” Mrs. Harrington nodded and then left before the doctor then turned back to me. “Now, I know the truth, but I just want to hear you say it, my dear. Be a good girl for me, huh?” He wanted secrets and all the things I knew about the government and portals. I couldn’t give in, so I just shook my head and kept my lips sealed, going even so far as to bite them shut as an extra precaution. “Very well… I don’t want to hurt you all, but you make me do such wicked things. Oh well…” He then pushed another button and the machine whirred to life once more. Incredible pain arced through my head again. I screamed, but no words came out. I felt the tears… the agony… it was all too much to bear, but no sound beyond a few raspy exhaled breaths. Seemingly smiling once again, Dr. Hurstalot turned off the machine. “Now, are you ready?” Before I could answer like the good baby girl that I knew I was for these adults, the door opened and Mrs. Harrington was dragging a beaten, wet, and almost broken woman, but it only took a few seconds for me to realize who it was. “Jennifer?” I asked, finally getting my voice back. She looked up at me in pain and her makeup was heavily streaked down her cheeks… it also didn’t take me long to realize her arm was bent the wrong way or the myriad of bruise marks all over her body. “I’m… I’m sorry… I…” “Shhh, shhh, sweetie,” Mrs. Harrington said as she stroked Jennifer’s tear-soaked cheek. I couldn’t help but notice that Jennifer flinched at the touch before Mrs. Harrington smiled and looked back up at me. “She wasn’t a very good girl herself… but we fixed that… she told us everything.” I was speechless, but that only seemed to encourage Dr. Hurstalot and Mrs. Harrington to smile more. “You see? All this is already over. I gave you a chance to come clean… to be a good girl for us, but no. We know you work for the ABI, and now, you’re going to be a good baby girl for us.” He then took off his mask and exposed his rotting twisted face and yellow crooked teeth. “We always make you all good boys and girls here… it’s our specialty.” Before I could try and apologize about it all in hopes of some kind of mercy, the doctor just smiled again and pulled down the lever. Now, only pain and my screams followed. “Ahhh!” * * * “Ahhh!” I bolted upright in bed. I could hear my heart in my ears and my bed was once again soaked with sweat. I was continually worried that it wasn’t sweat, but it only took a quick smell test to alleviate that fear at least. Once again though, it didn’t take long for the hallway light to flick on outside my room and then my door to burst wide open. “Megan! Are you okay?” Jennfier breathlessly asked as she stood there in her pajamas and untethered robe. “I…” I looked around my room and there were no signs of change from when I had gone to sleep. I was still mature in this house and still a perceived ‘big girl’ when not being watched outside of the relative safety of these walls. I even patted my crotch as subtly as I could, and to my relief, there wasn’t any padding there either. “I’m fine… sorry… just… another dream.” Jennifer’s expression soon relaxed, yet still bore her now practiced and usual face of concern. “I understand,” she said sympathetically before sitting on my bed as she had done many times before. “How about you tell me about it and try and calm down before going back to sleep?” I breathlessly nodded and spent a while describing the dream to her before slipping back to bed under her tender watchful eye. Despite going back to bed once again, it didn’t prevent me from being exhausted and continually yawning later that day at the celebration of the Munichion. It was some religious festival here with a procession toward their local temple to celebrate Spring, but honestly, I just liked the sweets that went along with it afterward. After the parade was done, most of the town soon gathered around the town square where I soon met up with Kelsey and the rest of the gang. Six pastries later for each of us, the still-present Harry had made a complete mess of himself, and I was about to pop. Unfortunately, I forgotten to take my pill, being a Sunday and all, so as soon as I felt the need to pee, I just went with my buddy system from back home to go to the bathroom. Stupidly, though, I forgot to ask Jennifer, or any Big for that matter. “What are you doing, Megan?” Kelsey asked me in panic as I dragged her into the public bathroom on the other side of the town square. “I need to go, and I needed a buddy. I chose you as my friend,” I said as I entered a stall and then quickly relieved myself. “Stick together, right?” Kelsey seemed to pause for a moment outside the stall door. “But what about Jennifer? Couldn’t she have taken you?” Her words were simple but straightforward and I almost dropped my shirt and got it dirty as I began to go again. ‘Why was I going so much lately?’ Catching the shirt though before disaster struck, my thoughts quickly switched back to just how big of an error I had made. It still plagued me as soon as I exited and washed my hands. “I…” I said, beginning to explain my actions, “I didn’t think about it. I just really had to go.” “I…” Kelsey then immediately began squirming in place. “Oh! I gotta go as well, but… uh…” She then looked down at her pants. “Can you help a friend out here?” I was shocked by her sudden ask, not that I hadn’t helped a drunk friend out at the academy one night, but I still sometimes forgot that Kelsey was a bit more immature than me as a Little, particularly when I hadn’t taken my meds today. “I… yep! Just one sec.” I quickly dried off my hands and then went about to undo her main button and take down the zipper. To my shock, a pink pull-up soon greeted me. “Thanks!” she said without any hesitation and partially snapping me out of my internal surprise. I then remembered, however, when I had first met her and noticed a bit of a bulge in her leggings that day, though I had never really noticed it since. She had mostly worn jeans, and to be honest, I wasn’t really looking, but still. My head was still in a briar patch of chaos as I then heard a flush and Kelsey exited as she was still pulling her pants back around her hips. She quickly saw me staring at her gratefully dry pull-up. “Oh… sorry about that. I’m just all thumbs when I need to go potty these days. It’s the strangest thing…” She then finished buttoning up her jeans and looked at me with a sense of clear accomplishment. “Keep bouncing in and out of them, but I guess that’s just how it goes as a Little. You know, right?” I slowly shook my head. I didn’t want to make her feel bad, which seemed to be the case from her immediate reaction, but I also couldn’t lie to her about something like this. I felt bad, but she then started looking at me like she didn’t believe me. “Sorry, but,” I then opened my own jeans and revealed my horse-themed training pants, “I wear training pants.” Her eyes stared back unblinking until I zipped my pants back up. “Oh… I guess being a big girl just comes easier to some…” she said with a clear sense of disappointment that we were no longer equals. In truth, we weren’t but she had definitely become my biggest friend around here and had even hung out outside of daycare on what Jennifer insisted on called ‘playdates’ when Kelsey was in the room those times. Still… I kept getting the feeling lately with Amy’s growing impatience that something was about to change and soon. Being equals with her now felt like a real possibility in some way. “Don’t feel bad. I’m sure you’ll get it. As you said, you’ve been entering in and out of them,” I tried to justify. “I’m guessing you’ll next be out of them really soon.” At that, she gratefully quickly began to resume her cheery demeanor. “Now, wash your hands really quickly so we can get out of here before we’re noticed.” Kelsey nodded and quickly washed her hands in the sink designed for Littles. Despite this town’s reputation and my own investigation, I had noticed how friendly it was to so many Littles. Still, if I had any doubts about how most Littles were treated, I also noticed the large changing table right next to the sink as well. Once outside, we then began to look for our group, but they were all missing from where we had left them. Deciding to search for our caregivers instead, I quickly whispered to Kelsey, “We might get in trouble. Just blame me and my needing to pee really badly. You can even tell her that I’m worried that I might end up in pull-ups soon and dragged you along for comfort.” She nodded and quickly found her caregiver first. What I told her wasn’t a complete lie, but wearing pull-ups in this place and on this mission was also something I was going to try at all costs to avoid. Unfortunately, right as Kelsey left, I saw a clearly upset Jennifer surrounded by several other Bigs. It didn’t take her long to see me and come marching right over. “You… you… you ran off and didn’t ask permission!” I tried to speak up to defend myself, but she just held up a single finger to silence me. “You were very, very naughty, Megan. This has been coming for a while, but you need to be punished.” “Wha…?” was about all I could make out before Jennifer quickly yanked me away by the wrist. I noticed several other Bigs shaking their heads at me in disapproval, but I just kept my head down and tried to signal to Jennifer to slow down or explain things. Unfortunately, it only caused her already firm grip on my wrist to tighten even further. Starting to panic, soon, she sped around the corner and into an empty alleyway. She then halted me and spun me around to face her clearly still furious face. “That was very stupid, Megan. What were you thinking going off like that? You could have been taken… or even have been considered a runaway.” I hadn’t thought about that, and I could now see that Jennifer may have been acting a bit back around the other Bigs and Littles, but that she was also legitimately upset with me right now. “I needed to pee,” I finally managed to spit out. “I shouldn’t have… I…” “No,” Jennifer interrupted. “You shouldn’t have, but now I’m in a bind.” She paused for a moment, and I remained fearful of what was going to happen next. “I don’t want to, but other Bigs are already asking me why a Little so adorable is still just at a preschooler level.” I briefly enjoyed being called cute, but I also was nervous about where this conversation seemed to be headed. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry, Jennifer,” I apologized. “I swear that I’ll try to do better. I’ll be a better Little.” Jennfier sighed and I didn’t like the tone behind it. “I know that you’ll try, Megan… but all the Bigs… they are expecting a punishment today for you and there are security cameras everywhere. I see the feeds from them all the time at work… even in these alleyways, so I still need to punish you.” I felt my stomach drop. As a Little, I knew punishment of some sort came with the territory, but I had always, as my nightmares had demonstrated to me, feared that it would have been some research facility doctor or Mrs. Harrington… not Jennifer herself. I even felt my knees begin quake over the thought of what she was about to do to me. Jennifer could clearly see my fear. “It’s okay… I won’t do any of what they suggested. You’ll still keep your potty training or your ability to walk…” she said so disturbingly casually, “but I was thinking a spanking might just do the trick.” She let that terrible word bounce off the narrow brick walls of the alleyway for a moment and let it slowly sink in what was just about to happen. “Just keep standing… I won’t have you go over my knee or remove your pants or training panties though.” I wanted to protest… even run away, but I only knew the punishments would get worse… much worse. So, with heavy reluctance, I turned toward the street and leaned onto her offered arm as she leaned down a little bit to deliver my punishment. “Okay. Really quick. Just five to sell it, okay?” I nodded and the world seemed to pause for a moment. Just five pops and even over my pants, but I guess my fear now may have been more due to the act itself and that we were even crossing this line now. Still, it was rough… humiliating, but gratefully quick. The successive pops seemed to echo out of the alleyway and into the streets. I tried to stay quiet… calm… but the suddenness of it all and the tiny bit of a sting made me yelp after the third and fifth smack to my butt. It wasn’t painful, and I could even tell that Jennifer wasn’t using her full power, but the message came across loud and clear. In a funny way, I knew Jennifer didn’t want to do it, but the whole scene, and mainly how much worse it could have been, ensured that I would also never forget to get a Big to take me to the restroom ever again out in public. After a festoon of other Bigs calling out my little punishment and how ‘lucky’ I was when we returned, the festival just continued into the night. Jennifer and I soon left the celebration, and my punishment seemed to be quickly forgotten about, especially, and horrifyingly considering that there were five other instances of punishments being doled out after mine. Still though, the next morning and first half of my time at daycare came swiftly the following day. As it was Monday again though and therefore testing day, I just groaned as I answered the doctor’s questions in practically the same manner as I had since I had arrived here. It was boring, but they at least still seemed easy to me. In fact, I was even getting better over the seemingly trick questions. Of course, an undercover or embarrassed Little may always deny liking diapers, but a Little’s regression or intentions could always be sniffed out in other ways I realized. For example, when they asked about what I would bring to a desert island, I would always just simply answer with a book. There was a lot of leeway to it, but being a preschooler, it could still make a certain amount of sense. They didn’t need to know that the book was the academy field guide for wilderness survival from back on Earth, but it showed me how others could slip up there and say something that would give away their identity or the extent of their regression. ‘I wondered how Harry now answered that particular question…’ Speaking of, once the testing was over, I walked back outside and saw Kelsey and Harry once again with each other and waiting together for me. Kelsey was very much the same, despite her still guilty look for my punishment the previous day, even though I had assured her everything was okay, but Harry… he was different even further still. His regression had gratefully slowed down finally in the last month, but a new worry began to enter my mind. Due to the increasing influx of new Littles at daycare, the three main attendants who were here every day of the week were only Mrs. Louder, Mrs. Harrington, and Ms. Ginny. Others came as volunteers or part-time staff, but it meant that not every Little could be attended to. As such, Kelsey and I had essentially become the defacto babysitters for Harry, which meant that we were getting a front row seat of just how bad off he was. For instance, now, Kelsey was wiping his face off from a cookie he had apparently been given during his testing. “How’d you get the cookie, Harry?” I asked with concern, sitting down in front of him. “You say a magic word or something?” He quickly shook his head. “No! Jus’ wuccy I guess…” He grinned widely as if he was hiding a big secret still, and not really caring about the cookie, I decided to just play along. Still, his overall demeanor had begun to remind me of how Erin was right before she was taken out of here. Regardless though, I wanted to make him happy for the time being. “Oh! I think I’ve spotted a little liar here, Kelsey. What do you think?” I asked my friend as she returned from throwing away the wet wipe that she had gotten to clean Harry off. “Hmmm. I don’t know… but it is Harry… so… yes!” We both grinned at each other and immediately pounded on the romper-clad Little in front of us and began to tickle him mercilessly. As odd as it may have sounded, I kind of liked having Harry around. He had been annoying at first, but I considered him as much as a friend as he could be in his currently regressed condition. “Stahp! Stahp!” he cried out between his peals of laughter. “No moh’! No moh’!” Kelsey and I tickled him for a bit longer, but soon stopped, particularly when the lights began to dim once more, and we got ready to watch another animated movie. As it began to play, I was just happy that it wasn’t something I had already seen. Now, about midway through April and seeing at least three movies a week for quiet time, I had begun to dip into repeat movies for quiet time. Some were okay, but some… geez. I mean, we were Littles… but we still weren’t the types to laugh at seven fart jokes in a row. As usual though, the younger Littles began to be picked up for their naptimes and I saw that as Jasper and Ben returned to us from their own testing. That being said, Ben soon was taken away, being now one of the Littles to be put down for their daily afternoon nap. Still, with Ben and the new movie, I was too distracted to notice the doctors watching… and preparing, behind us. Mrs. Harrington, the Big who I was starting to feel was the devil incarnate or at least their horrific wife, snuck up behind Jasper, Kelsey, Harry, and I. We watched the movie with glee, and I guess in retrospect, it being a new movie, and all may have been a clue to what was about to happen to distract as many of us Littles as they could. I guess there was something to be said there that they would try and protect us like that. Regardless of their intentions though, Mrs. Harrington struck fast. Like so many other Littles before him, our friend, Harry, was soon plucked away. I didn’t notice at first, but after a giggle from nearby and looking up, I then saw a happy and content Harry being taken away. He was cooing up at Mrs. Louder, and knowing him at this point, I didn’t think he knew what was happening. He probably thought he was just being taken away for his usual nap, but that all changed when I bolted up and ran over to him. “Meg! Meg!” he cried out as he saw me rush over to him. Tears immediately started pouring out of his eyes as he realized what was actually happening to him. To his credit, with all the strength and coordination he seemed to have left, he then tried to wiggle out of Mrs. Harrington’s arms and reach for me. Being who she was though, Harry proved no match for her strength. “Harry! No! Wait!” I yelled out to my friend, but it was too late. Without an ounce of hesitation or remorse, Mrs. Harrington opened and then walked through the door that all the other taken Littles went through. Just as I got to the door, it slammed shut in my face with a deafening thud. Harry and his wails of pleading were no more. Harry had been an annoying Little who continually would attach himself to one of us and get in the way of the friend group trying to play. Like a stray puppy though, it was hard not to fall for the little dude. So now, I guess in my anger and sadness, and with the drugs starting to wear off, I lost any semblance of the rest of my calm demeanor and began banging on the door as tears began to flow from my eyes over the loss of my friend. “Harry! Harry! Talk to me!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, but it was no use, and everyone knew it. In that moment though, the only good thing about these events happening at least every two weeks around here was that the daycare workers and the other Littles were used to the types of scenes that I was now making by the door. To the Littles, they knew that one day they could be the one on this side of the door or the one being taken away on the other side. For the Bigs though, I suspected that displays like this showed that a Little cared about their friend and that they weren’t afraid to show their emotions in front of others now under the right circumstances. After all, in their eyes, there wasn’t much of a leap between what I was doing and breaking down over a lost toy, but I didn’t care. I only cared about my friend and what they were doing to him beyond this single door. “Sweetie…” Mrs. Louder said as she crouched down and rubbed my heaving back. “It’s okay. Harry is going to a better place now. He’ll be… different there… but back home even.” I was confused over what she was saying, but at this point, I only wanted to know where he was really going. ‘Why him and not the three other Littles who are far more regressed?’ Mrs. Louder continued to rub my back, but my anger and grief over the loss of my friend weren’t going away, and being a seasoned employee here, she could plainly see that. She then sighed with a little sadness. “Well, I can’t have you like this all day. It’s not healthy, so how about this? You come with me, and I’ll get you all sorted. I promise you’ll feel better afterward, okay?” I didn’t want to leave, but I didn’t want to feel like this anymore… the knowledge that one of my friends was just here one day and gone the next. Not dead from what I knew at least but gone all the same. It was something I couldn’t do a thing about, so, with some reluctance, I just stopped by banging and nodded my head at her proposal. Mrs. Louder smiled and nodded her head before standing back up. Slowly, she then helped me to my feet, and while holding my hand, led me away to the door I knew as the clinic here. I briefly looked back and could see that Jasper and Kelsey were crying as well, but to my surprise, they seemed to be muddling through it better than I was and even just encouraged me to go through the door with Mrs. Louder. I nodded and soon walked through the door. Entering the room, I was then immediately greeted by a decently sized clinic of a sort that resembled those that one could find in any elementary school. Posters about general hygiene and medicine dotted the walls above three beds that had curtains drawn back to the walls. Off to one side, a kindly blonde woman dressed in a pair of cartoonish scrubs then looked up from her desk there and smiled broadly. “Well, looks like someone is in need of a hug or a loli, huh?” Still too distraught over Harry, Mrs. Louder nodded in my place. “I think just that or the juice instead maybe.” She paused and the two nodded at each other before Mrs. Louder then spoke back up. “Nurse Betty, this is Megan.” She then lowered her voice. “She just lost one of her friends to… well, you know.” Nurse Betty nodded in understanding and then walked directly over to me from behind her desk. “Well, Megan, as Mrs. Louder said, I’m Nurse Betty. Probably feeling a bit down about everything with your friend… what’s their name, sweetie?” I could barely move my lips to form words, but I finally said softly, “Harry.” “Harry… I’m sure he was your friend,” she said, “and grieving is important, but I’m going to give you something and I want you to drink it all by the time you leave for the day, okay? Can you do that for me?” I only nodded and after smiling over my saddened cooperation, Nurse Betty produced a single sippy cup filled with a blueish white liquid. “This is… well, we call it ‘Blue-B-Gone,’ but it basically just calms your emotions down, ensures you’re hydrated, and even in some cases, helps you go to sleep if needed.” She then squinted at me for a moment. “Though, I’m guessing that won’t happen to you today from what I can see.” My emotions were still fully overloading my system, so without question, I just took the sippy cup and began to slowly drink it. Mrs. Louder left briefly as Nurse Betty then guided me over to lay on one of the beds, and honestly, I did feel much better afterward. Not long as the first sweet drop hit my tongue, everything had just turned down in my body and soul and I felt a sense of peace. Not necessarily joyous, but peaceful, nonetheless. After finishing about half of the sippy cup, Mrs. Louder then came back out and escorted me back to my still grieving friends. They started asking me the usual questions that I would have normally asked myself, but once they saw the Blues-B-Gone drink in my hands, I was just given hugs or pats on the back. Then, not long after the movie ended, Ben was told the news about his friend, and he began to cry as well. Like the others though, he seemed more in control of his emotions though, and everyone then just took the time and talked about their funny or touching stories with Harry. Still feeling the effects of the juice, I went last, but despite all the emotions going on around me, I didn’t shed a single further tear. “That’s just the drink,” Kelsey then later answered after I was curious about what I was feeling. “Must have been really upset or they deemed it a special circumstance.” “He was my friend,” I retorted near emotionlessly. “Yeah… that’s not it… otherwise they would be handing them out very day around here, but still, I’m sure we’ll figure it out one day,” she conceded. I only nodded and waited for Jennifer to pick me up as I finished my drink. To my relief, Jennifer then soon entered the building after a few Littles were already picked up, and Mrs. Louder was working at the front desk instead of Miss Ginny today. “I’m afraid that little Megan here lost her friend today. As such she had a tough time coping, so we gave her the special drink today. The blue one…” “Ah,” Jennifer acknowledged, nodding her head up and down. “Explains a lot and I can’t say I’m the biggest fan long term, but… I would have probably just done the same thing under the same circumstances.” Still not knowing if she could trust Mrs. Louder or not fully, I knew that Jennifer had purposely kept the whole thing vague just to ensure nothing would slip out to the public unless it was already approved by ABI. “Yes… it’s very sad with Harry, but as security, I’m sure you know how these things go,” Mrs. Louder said. Even in my fog of the Blues-B-Gone, my mind halted for a moment. ‘Did Jennifer know what was happening and just not telling me?’ Fortunately for the sake of my own previous trust issues, Jennifer just shook her head. “Actually… I’m just one of the lower people on the totem pole. I’m not told much in my current position about those types of things.” “Oh… well, you might think of considering changing that. I don’t know your background or anything, but no one stays on that low level for long around here unless they’ve messed up a bunch of times.” She then paused and looked at me. “Although… some little things might need to change a bit first.” My mind didn’t seem to get the connection she was trying to make, but like my own personal guardian angel, Jennifer, did. “Oh, right. Yes, maybe… lots of things to consider.” She then hastily looked at her watch. “Oops! Got here a little later than I wanted. Gotta head home and get this one fed… I’m sure you can agree that she’s had a long day.” Mrs. Louder nodded her head. “Oh, absolutely.” She then looked back down at me and gave me a tiny wave. “I’m sorry about Harry today, but you have a good rest and I’m sure you’ll feel better in the morning.” Strangely, the Blues-B-Gone seemed to affect me at least partially like my morning meds, so almost involuntarily, I gave her a little wave back before Jennifer escorted me from the building. I wasn’t sure what to think about it all, and despite my current neutral appearance, I was still very much upset by the likely permanent loss of Harry. Guiding me through the parking lot, Jennifer could tell that I was still a little out of it, so she gently guided me into my booster seat and buckled me in. It was kind of nice to just sit back and relax. It was almost like… ‘Wait!’ I looked over and behind the building just for a moment but then saw something different. Normally, a large transport van would then leave, likely taking the taken Little up to the main research facility that I had yet to visit for whatever reason. This time though, instead of the truck leaving the daycare, it was still parked and there, clear as day, was Harry. I wanted to yell out, cry, scream for him. ‘Maybe the ABI could protect him? He could be used as an asset here, right? Like me even?’ My mind clouded with the possibilities of his rescue, and I tried to say anything for Jennifer to stop the car or go over there… she was security after all, but nothing would come out. My emotions were too pent up and too bombastic still, so I guessed that the Blues-B-Gone was still highly restricting my system. Frustrated beyond mere words, I just continued to watch Harry as he was escorted out of the building; however, I also noticed something very odd about him. He was Harry for sure, but an older version of himself. For one, he was walking without any difficulty… something that he hadn’t been able to do since at least February now. Secondly, his clothing was different. No cutesy teddy bears or jungle animals or even diapers, but just normal street clothing that almost looked strangely… dirty. Lastly, and most bizarre, he looked like he was talking with no problem and even walking normally with the other security personnel and myriad of doctors around him. I was puzzled over what I had just witnessed. My taken friend almost looked… mature… like a real adult and the man whom I had never met before all this place had gotten to him. ‘But how could that be? Was he a spy? Faking it? Or is there a cure for every Little somewhere?’ The possibilities seemed endless, but I also remembered back to what Erin had screamed before she had been silenced back on my first day. She talked about a machine. I didn’t know what it was, but I felt that it needed to become a priority. My dreams even had plagued me about it like last night, but now, seeing my friend like this, it was now very personal. Still, I wasn’t sure how everything connected, or even if it connected to my main mission of closing the portal or not. Either way, I knew that we would be seeing Amy again in only a few weeks. So, I had to ask myself, should I tell her about my friend and potentially get shut down in my own investigations, or not tell her and potentially disappoint her with a lack of information yet again? I had time to think about it, but I remained fearful that that perceived time might soon be running out.

How did Americans Enthusiastically contribute to the attacks in Northern Ireland? Which by the way, there is a huge difference between revolutionaries trying to force an invading country out and religious zealots committing a terrorist attack on foreign soil.

Call me a liar. I couldn't help myself. I went back and ordered the Alpaca and Safari bodysuits. Just can't turn it down!!!

my god i want all of these. crocs i still think are the best little kid shoes esepecially if you put lots of embarassing charms on them AND wear socks

Yeah me too.

They are great. I had some a while ago but I couldn’t keep them dry. I wasn’t ready to potty train. I’m in Rearz diapers full time. I love them. I will always be a Rearz baby.

8. Millie could see the desperation in Jamie’s eyes, not to mention his excessive fidgeting and the crossing of his legs. “You should have said something earlier,” she told him. “No problem, though, I think there’s a ladies’ room near the food court.” Jamie’s mouth dropped open. “But I can’t... I mean I shouldn’t...” he stammered. “You can’t exactly go into the men’s room looking like that, now, can you?” she said firmly. “We’ve already established that no one will ever know. Besides, you’ll do your business in a stall so no one will see your dangly parts. And from the looks of it, you won’t be able to make it until we get home. You really don’t have a choice.” She paused, noting that his panicked expression hadn’t lessened. “Jamie, it’s just a bathroom. It’s not like a secret society where you need to know a special handshake or pass a quiz on periods to use it. I’ll go in with you. We can be in and out in no time and get something to eat.” Jamie nodded as he felt a few drops of urine escape. At this point he had to go so badly that he’d use one of the mall’s planters if he had to. He shuffled as fast as he was able after Millie, afraid to take bigger steps if that meant spreading his legs. After what seemed like an eternity, he found himself trailing Millie into forbidden territory, his panties at this point more than a little damp. The first thing he noticed was two teenagers at the mirror, one fixing her lipstick and the other adjusting her bra. He abruptly turned away to face in the direction of the stalls, where he confronted a sight rarely seen in the men’s room. A line. “You’ll have to hold it a little longer,” Millie whispered. “You can go before me. I’ll meet you outside.” The line moved at glacial speed. At the passing of every minute, Jamie could feel his crotch get a little wetter. Glancing down, he was relieved to see that no wet spot was visible on his outfit. Finally, stalls on both ends opened up simultaneously. Millie headed toward one as Jamie speed-shuffled to the other. Once inside, Jamie reached for the buckle holding the strap of his shortalls on his left shoulder. His hands were shaking as he fumbled with the latch, having trouble focusing on the mechanics of getting it undone. Just as he pushed it free, his bladder released. “Noooo...” he groaned, rushing to sit down on the toilet seat so that the excess pee streaming down through his crotch would end up in the toilet bowl rather than the floor. The result was a tinkle much like the sounds emanating from the other stalls. The relief he felt in emptying his bladder was more than offset by his panic at what to do next. He grabbed a wad of toilet paper and dried off his thighs, but the tissue was no match for the saturated crotch of his shortalls. Besides being suddenly itchy and uncomfortable, there was no way to clean up his accident. When he emerged from the stall, he held the shopping bag containing his new purchases in front of his groin area, pinning it against himself as he leaned into the sink to wash his hands. He glanced over to the stall Millie had used and saw that the door was ajar. She was waiting for him just outside the restroom. “What took you so long? I’m famished.” The pleading in Jamie’s eyes gave her immediate pause. “Is something wrong? Are you alright? What happened in there?” “Can we go home now?” Jamie pleaded, his voice quivering. “Not unless you tell me what’s going on,” Millie replied. “And why are you standing so awkwardly. Here, let me hold that for you.” Before Jamie could stop her, she took hold of the plastic bag and held it to her side. She gasped and immediately handed it back to Jamie. “I thought that smell of pee was coming from inside the bathroom,” she said crossly. “How on earth did that happen? Toilets in the ladies’ room work exactly as those in the men’s room so you shouldn’t have been confused.” Jamie explained his issues with the buckle to unsympathetic ears. “Well, you’re not getting into my car like that,” Millie told him. “And I’m hungry. Keep that bag well-positioned while we walk to the food court, then slide into a chair while I get us some food.” As they walked Millie surreptitiously fell back a half step in order to take a look at Jamie’s rear end. She didn’t have the heart to tell him about the large wet spot covering half his backside. Jamie was relieved to sit down, the table hiding his shame, but kept shifting to try to find a position where the drenched fabric didn’t press against him. Just as Millie returned with two trays of food, a dreadful thought occurred to him. “I didn’t buy any underwear,” he said. “When you buy me panties to replace the pairs I gave you, you can get some for yourself as well. What? Do you really want to go back to the men’s department in that condition? I didn’t think so. You can order underpants online when we get home.” They ate most of their meal together in silence, which Millie eventually broke. “I’m not sure how you’re going to explain this to Angie,” she said. “You should know that she’s a real neat freak. If your lease is similar to mine, she has the right to terminate it for any number or reasons, including if you fail to keep the place clean or have any condition that would cause damage to the furniture or carpeting. Or just because she wants to. She went berserk when one of her tenant’s water broke in the living room and the poor woman almost got evicted. I don’t think she’ll be happy with a pants wetter living under her roof.” Millie smiled at the horror in Jamie’s eyes. Virtually none of what she’d just said was true but she was enjoying having some harmless fun at his expense. She wondered how far she could take it and decided to push it further. “Please don’t tell her!” Jamie almost shouted, drawing unwanted attention from nearby tables. “I can’t afford to lose this place. It’s the only one I could find!” he said in a much softer but still desperate tone. “I’ll make you a deal,” Millie said, “and it involves you doing something to actually make Angie a little more comfortable with your presence in the home and possibly secure your space there for the full term of the lease. She admitted to me last night that she’s not entirely on board with her decision to bring a man on as a tenant. Nothing against you personally, mind you, but she’s so accustomed to having all women in the house that she doesn’t know if she can enjoy meals with you at the table. She was thrilled that you wore a skirt to dinner last night and expressed a desire that you’d go a little further at meals.” Jamie stared at Millie as if she had two heads. “Are you suggesting...” he began, but was unable to finish the thought, it was so unthinkable. “That you come to dinner dressed as a woman, complete with makeup and your hair done properly. I think at breakfast you can slide by with the nightgown or feminine pjs, and what you wear the rest of the day is totally up to you. So it would just be dinner. It would mean so much to her and in a way, you kind of owe her for taking you in.” Jamie sat lost in thought for several minutes. On the one hand, this was an absolute, ridiculous nightmare and he couldn’t believe the predicament he was in. Ask him a week ago and he’d have insisted that he’d never consider such a thing. On the other hand, if he were to lose this room, he couldn’t imagine going back to the fleabag motel or worse, living out of his car. He began to rationalize. It would only be for an hour every day and it would save him the embarrassment of having Angie or anyone else find out about the most humiliating day of his life. Still... “Okay, fine,” he finally said to Millie’s surprise and delight. “But no one ever, ever finds out about today. Not just Angie, anyone. And not just my accident, all of this.” “Of course, dear, that sounds fair. Now, if you’re done eating, we need to do some more shopping.” The pair headed back toward the department store, so Jamie was puzzled when Millie took a detour into a pharmacy. “You smell,” she explained, “and you can’t simply replace the wet panties with dry ones. We need to clean you up.” Jamie saw the sense in that but was still mortified when he found himself in the baby aisle. Millie picked up a pack of scented wipes and, as an afterthought, some baby powder. Jamie didn’t want to make a scene, so he said nothing. “Let me grab the panties you owe me then we’ll get you fixed,” she said once back out in the mall. Jamie couldn’t believe she’d make him wait even longer to get out of his wet things. The itching as growing intolerable and maybe he was being paranoid, but he swore he heard girlish giggling all around him. He clutched his shopping bag closer to his midsection. Silently he followed Millie into the women’s department, awkwardly standing among all of the women’s bras and undergarments. He closed his eyes and in his mind pretended to be at a ballgame, drinking beer and doing manly things. His reverie was broken when he heard Millie’s voice in his ear. “Your card.” He handed it over, ignoring Millie’s smirk when the tampon peeked out of his purse as he retrieved his wallet. He didn’t even ask to see the panties he was purchasing for her. Anything to speed up the process. When Millie returned and gave him back his card, he took a step toward section with women’s casual wear. “Not here,” Millie told him. “Unless you want to pay top dollar for the clothes you’ll only be wearing to dinner. Come with me.” He was again forced back into the main part of the mall and its throngs of shoppers. As before, he avoided eye contact and didn’t even see the name of the store that Millie dragged him into. Once inside, though, he immediately could see that it was aimed at teenage girls. “My name’s Christine and it would be my pleasure to assist you and your daughter today,” a young freckled blonde girl said mechanically, drawing scowls from both Jamie and Millie, but for opposite reasons. “Let me show you to our pre-teen section where I’m sure you’ll find whatever you’re looking for.” Without waiting for a response, the woman turned and walked away. Millie shrugged her shoulders and followed, leaving Jamie no choice but to bring up the rear. Within seconds they were deep among a forest of racks of brightly colored attire clearly meant for tweens and even younger girls. Millie politely dismissed the clerk by stating that she’d let her know if they needed help. Millie held a particularly homely dress up against Jamie’s front. “I know it’s hideous,” she whispered. “All I’m trying to do right now is find the right size for you, then we’ll quickly grab a couple things and get into a dressing room where we can clean you up. Then you can stay and hide in there while I do the actual shopping.” Millie shook her head, returned the dress to the rack, and picked up the next size down. This one seemed to satisfy her. “Incredible,” she murmured to herself when she looked at the size on the tag. She grabbed two more outfits in the same size, picked up a package of panties off a sales table, and signaled to Christine, who led them to the back. Before they entered the dressing room area, Christine paused to point to a sign posted on the wall which read “All children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.” “I know she’s still got a few years to go,” she told Millie. “But we can let her stay in there by herself for a little while if you come out to look for something new to try or a different size.” Jamie had never been so relieved to be anywhere as he was when Millie closed the dressing room door behind them, but his mood changed almost immediately when Millie leaned down to speak softly into his ear. “There may be others in here, so we need to keep up the charade,” she said. “Keep your voice low. Also, look up there.” Millie pointed a camera high up on the wall. “It’s to prevent shoplifting and drug use. We’re going to have to keep your boy parts hidden. It won’t be an issue once you get panties on but we can’t risk revealing yourself to the world cleaning the pee off of you. I’m afraid I’m going to have to do it and use my body to block the view of the camera.” As she spoke, Millie knelt on the floor, opened up the pack of baby wipes, and placed the baby powder container on the floor. Using both hands, she pulled Jamie’s soggy panties down and dropped them in the pharmacy bag, not making any effort to hide her disgust at touching Jamie’s pee. “Won’t be wearing those again,” she told him. She was now facing Jamie’s naked penis inches from her. She paused only long enough to make the observation that it seemed grossly underdeveloped compared to the genitals of the sexual partners she’d had, but maybe she’d just been lucky and this was within the norm. Somehow, she imagined that there would be more than a few wisps of fine hair. She made quick work of cleaning him up, wiping his member while taking care not to stroke it, then moving to other sensitive areas before finishing with his thighs. Not daring to have him turn around, she reached around to take a short pass over his rear and up his crack. She snorted in disgust at the streak left on the wipe. She handed Jamie a pair of panties before pulling out a handful of wipes to clean her hands, depositing them in the bag. Jamie looked at the panties in dismay. They were white cotton with pink kittens and purple hearts on them. “Just slip them on,” Millie hissed. “I didn’t have time to look at anything but size.” Jamie reluctantly did just that. As embarrassing as it was, the clean and dry panties felt wonderful. Millie, however, wasn’t done. She pulled the front of Jamie’s panties out and shook a generous amount of baby powder in, then repeated the process in the back. Excessive perhaps, but the room now smelled like a nursery instead of an outhouse. “Okay,” Millie said, rising. “Let’s pull those disgusting shortalls off you and get you in something else. She looked more closely at what she’d selected. “Let’s start with this dress.” She added the smelly shortalls to the bag then helped Jamie pull the dress over his head. “Wow,” she said admiringly. “Ugly as hell but it actually fits you remarkably well. Take it off and let’s try this romper.” And so it went. For the better part of the next hour, Millie made trips out to the shop floor and came back with arms full of a variety of outfits, setting aside some and hanging the rest on a rack outside the door. At long last, she declared them done but gave Jamie a lingering once-over. “Nope. Not quite finished.” She left the dressing room, tracked down Christine, and whispered to her conspiratorially. Christine nodded, moved away, then returned and handed Millie a small package with a knowing smile. “I used these when I was her age,” she said. She returned to the dressing room to find a very impatient young man waiting for her. “You have a very small chest,” Millie said, “and these clothes are for girls who are just starting to develop. They’d fit you much better if you wore this”—she held a training bra out in one hand—“with these.” In her other hand, she had small breast inserts. “They’ll bring you up to just under an A cup.” Jamie almost forgot where he was and started to protest but was instantly cut off. “They’ll make you look better, and all girls want that,” she said. “And it’s part of the agreement we made earlier. If you want me to keep your secret you’ll say yes.” Jamie sighed in resignation, looking at what seemed to be an unnecessarily large pile of clothing in the keeper pile, some of which he didn’t remember trying on. He nodded his head, picked up the clothes, and followed Millie out of the dressing room to the cashier, out of the mall, and at long last out to the car.

Playground Check "Sweetie! Come here.” You get off the spring pony and toddle over to Mommy sitting on the bench. “Yes, Mommy?” you say. “Let me check you.” She says it nicely enough, but you know it’s not a request. She slips two fingers into the leg hole of your diaper. “Sweetie, are you wet?” she asks. “Yes ma’am.” You say. “Do big kids go pee pee in their pants?” You shake your head. “No ma’am” “Why didn’t you come tell me?” “I was playin’.” This is only a half-truth. It was easier not to think about what you’d done when you kept your mind and body otherwise occupied. “That doesn’t sound very mature, does it?” Again you shake your head. “No ma’am.” “Turn around.” She makes the little circular motion with her finger as if you don’t understand. Looking out at the playground with all of the other “babies” playing, you shiver as you feel Mommy slide her finger into the back of your diaper and pull it back, getting look. “Sweetie,” she says, “are you messy?” You nod. “Yes ma’am. “Do big kids go poopie in their pants?” “No ma’am.” “Why didn’t you come tell me?” “I was pwaying.” You swallow hard. You hadn’t meant to say it like that! “That doesn’t sound very mature, does it?” “No ma’am.” Hands on your shoulders she turns you around to face her. “ What happens to big kids who go pee-pee and poopie in their pants?” Your avert your gaze to the mulchy ground beneath you, but her hand is on your chin, tilting it back up so that you have to look her in the eye. What happens to big kids who go pee-pee and poopie in their pants?” she repeats. You swallow again. “They get a...a…” You do your best to enunciate. “They get a spankin’.” At least you didn’t drop the s this time. Little victories. “And what happens to babies who go pee-pee and poopie in their diapers?” “They get a diaper change.” Your cheeks feel thirty degrees warmer. “That’s right. Now, which one are you?” You hate this part. You love this part. “A...a baby.” “What was that?” “I’m a baby…” you say. “Change me?” “Okay, sweetie,” Mommy coos. “Let’s get you changed.” Like a good baby, you take her hand to go to the big brick restroom by the playground. There’s a changing station in there. Mommy doesn’t budge. “Ah-ah-ah,” she says. “Mommy doesn’t have to go potty.” She guides you down to the park bench where she was sitting. “We’ll do it here.” Panic! Embarrassment! Pending humiliation! “But Mommeeee!” you whine as your back hits the slatted wood. Mommy’s not listening. She’s already sliding your changing mat beneath you and fishing out a pack of wipes and a fresh diaper. You turn your head to the side and see all of your little friends still playing on the playground. They’ll see! Everyone will see! “Your diaper was clean when we got here,” she says. “If you can go pee-pee and poopie in your diaper in front of your little friends, then you can get it changed in front of them too.” From the diaper bag she takes out a binkie and pops it into your mouth. End of discussion. You do your best to block out the world, covering your eyes with your hands and sucking on your binkie. But it’s very hard to ignore Mommy’s wiping down there. “Excuse me,” a very deep, masculine voice says. “I couldn’t help but hear what you were talking about with your baby.” Mommy doesn't even pause from wiping you down. She’s done this so many times, her arms are practically on autopilot. “Just a little conditioning routine I worked out," she says. "Good for training." "Not potty training" the man says. They both laugh. You just hide your face. You peek out from behind your hands. Standing next to you is a Daddy and his little boy. The little boy is sucking on a pacifier and does not seem happy to be here. That makes two of you. “Do you do it every time?” the Daddy asks. “Mind sharing some of those tricks?” he asks. No regard for your modesty, the grown-ups start their conversation as Mommy finishes diapering you. You stand up and give her a hug, yet another ingrained behavior that you can’t quite shake. You wiggle your hips a little and feel the clean crispness of the new padding on your butt. A smile spreads out over your face. You don’t want to like it, but you can’t help it. You literally can’t help it. Mommy gives you a pat on your fresh diaper and tells you go to play so that she can talk to the nice man. The Daddy gives his boy a matching pat, sending you two off to play. “Sorry in advance,” you say to the newcomer. “About what?” he asks, pacifier still wedged between his lips like a cigar. “About what my Mommy is gonna tell your Daddy,” you say. “She’s really good.” Really good. Too good, in fact. So good. He spits out the pacifier. “HE'S NOT MY DADDY!” he yells. “I’ve never even worn this...this...THIS...” he gestures to his pantsless diapered state; just like you. You believe him. You relate to him. But he doesn't understand yet. The grown-ups always win in the end. “Sure sure,” you say, not wanting to get into an argument so close to the grown-ups. If his daddy is anything like Mommy, this is about to be the new normal for him. “Let’s go play in the jungle gym.” You toddle off, not looking back. There's no point in looking back...

In the 21 years I have been here I have NEVER seen anyone frown upon answering an old post.

Look like well over $400 in Trest diapers there! And me with only a few left in the package I bought last August.

You should be fine posting it, it doesn't need to be strictly ABDL you can fuse other kinks into it.

Cheese is constipating you may need a prune cake for desert to engage diaper liberation.

A daytime version of PEEjamas

Mikaela Bloomfield could smell a liar like a bloodhound, and she could smell baby powder and urine just about as well as anyone else. Her keen sense for deception came part and parcel with her career of choice. As a private investigator, she had to seek out liars, to find their secrets, to demonstrate their tricks for all to see–but that game only offered so much challenge. More often than not, the true treachery came from her clients. Mikaela was known for her discretion, and for her willingness to pursue any lead. Those two elements, when put together, made her the first choice for many people with less-than-savory intentions. If she caught wind that they intended to use her work to pursue a criminal end, she had to cut ties; it would be bad for business if the leads she developed were tied to any overtly illegal acts. She rarely had that issue. Most criminals who could afford her rates knew better than to try and use her as a surrogate hitman. More often, she had to watch for her clients to lie, because those lies were generally integral to her work. And now, sitting in an outdoor cafe, an anonymous little corner where they’d never incur a second glance, her newest prospective client was lying to her. “Sir,” she said, phrasing her words carefully as she reviewed what he’d told her, flipping through mental notes effortlessly. Her mind was a well organized place; she rarely forgot a clue, and physical notes could be lost–or worse, stolen. “You’ve given me extremely little to work with. I will do my best to track down this hacker for you, but the world of anonymous internet crime is fraught.” “All I know is, she stole almost half a million from me, and left me a message taunting me about it,” Henry replied, shaking his head vigorously. He hadn’t told Mikaela his name, and he likely assumed she didn’t know his identity, but she’d done the legwork before attending this meeting. Henry Wanger, web influencer, had made bank on a handful of pump-and-dump NFT scams. “I want that money back.” “Half a million in cryptocurrency,” Mikaela clarified. “Even if I find her, that money is likely to be long gone, and my services aren’t going to be cheap either. I’m not trying to talk myself out of a job, but consider long and hard whether the investment is worth it for you to try and get your money back.” Turning ever so slightly pink–the difference so subtle it could have been a trick of the light–Henry said, “I need to find this chick.” Mikaela sniffed again, and again–stale pee and baby powder. “If you’re not being honest with me about your goals, I cannot help you. If you want her found, you’ll need to tell me why you need to find her.” This time, his blush was deep and distinct. He looked away. “She’s still blackmailing me.” (Ah, there it is.) Mikaela didn’t smile on her face, though her satisfaction rose a tick. “What secrets does she have?” “Nothing.” Henry shook his head emphatically. Mikaela’s lips drew into a displeased line. “This matters. I need to know what she has on you, so I can trace down how she learned it. I will never disclose this information, and I will never judge you.” “No,” Henry clarified. “She doesn’t have any dirt. She’s still got control of my accounts.” Eyes widening a touch, Mikaela asked, “So how do you intend to pay me?” “She’s left most of the money,” Henry explained, shaking his head. “It’s still there, I can see it, I just can’t touch it. I’m–she’s giving me an allowance. And once you catch her, I’ll be able to pay you the rest of what you’re owed.” Mikaela tilted her head. “If she’s not taking the money, how is she blackmailing you?” He looked away, and told her everything in his silence. His ashamed blush told Mikaela it was sexual, his glance down told her that it was currently on his person, and the wrinkle of his own nose told her that the odors she’d been smelling were no mere coincidence. That wasn’t enough. Mikaela had learned the truth, but she hadn’t won, not until she manipulated him into confessing. “If you want this to end, you need to tell me.” Mikaela extended her hand, resting it on his own. “It’ll be over sooner this way.” He hesitated, glancing down again. “She–she makes me do things. If I don’t, she takes money from the account.” “What things?” Mikaela asked, gently, not pressing hard, just giving a quiet moment of insistence that he keep talking. His eyes sought around, as though looking for some way to bolster his dignity before the admission. Finding nothing, he looked at her hands. “She’s making me…wear…” Confidence breaking for a moment, he had to take a breath before finishing. “Diapers. If I don’t wear diapers, she takes my money.” That told Mikaela everything important, but she decided to push a little further. “Do you have to use them?” Henry nodded, refusing to meet her gaze. “And–I can only change if I text an encrypted number and ask for permission.” “I probably won’t be able to use that number,” Mikaela admitted, “It’d tip her off that I’m looking, but all the same–send me whatever you have. I’ll take the case.” “Thank you,” Henry said, finally looking up at her. His eyes were wet from humiliation and shame. “Thank you.” A talented, invisible cyber hacker was making this man wear diapers–presumably just for her own amusement. That alone was intriguing enough to have Mikaela interested in seeking out more information, but she still had one more issue to raise with Henry. “When you pay me,” she said, “I don’t accept cryptocurrency. You’ll be sending my fee in cash.” … Mikaela had a dozen identities kept on the internet, but they all had only one thing in common–none were anything more than the barest reflection of herself. She treated them as informants, as agents she could use to get information, but she refused to engage with the internet directly. She understood social media, she understood the various Web 3 Tech worlds, but they were places that she observed without touching. That sometimes made finding her targets more difficult, but she took it as an acceptable cost in exchange for the safety and anonymity it offered. Her first assumption proved to be true: If someone had the tools, expertise, and opportunity to gain access to a secure account and drain its resources, and the inclination to use that access not for personal wealth, but to humiliate their victims, it stood to reason that this wasn’t her first time and wouldn’t be her last. Other victims had to exist. The difficulty was not in finding other victims of electronic theft, but in separating the wealthy targets from the run-of-the-mill scam fodder. Using her most tech-adjacent burner account, Mikaela set herself up to be interested in the worlds of her victims, and then began pursuing details. It started with one–an “Influencer” who was known for his energetic livestreams. Several reddit threads, though, complained that he’d been rather dull on stream of late–no standing to rant, no pacing around the room, he stuck firmly in his chair. Mikaela tuned in, and though it was subtle, she knew she occasionally heard the rustle of a diaper. Over the course of two weeks, her list of two victims turned to eleven. It was slow going, but she built a profile: The victims were recently wealthy, having made their money off the gullibility of others, and involved in one marketplace or another that made their accounts vulnerable to targeting. Most were involved in cryptocurrency, using wallets that could be identified and exploited, but two were instead using more traditional offshore bank accounts in the most shady and least regulated parts of the world. They were also, universally, men. Mikaela didn’t know if this was because the crypto space was mostly populated by men to begin with, or if her hacker simply had her own proclivities, but one way or another, she’d engineered financial blackmail situations to inflict diaper humiliation on eleven different men. And it wasn’t just the humiliation–specifics cropped up even beyond that. She had a favorite brand of diaper. She enjoyed dragging out the space between diaper use and diaper changes–denying her victims a clean diaper for hours, sometimes longer. She had even made comments suggesting that her victims should be thanking her for the experience–that this was special treatment. That led Mikaela down another line of investigation, but this one proved to be a dead end. The hacker had to be filthy rich for all the money she’d stolen, but Mikaela couldn’t find anyone who fit the bill. She expected to turn someone up eventually, but no matter how deep she dug, she couldn’t find anyone with extravagant spending habits and a profile that matched the diaper-inclined hacker. The game was proving harder than normal. Mikaela’s opponent was discreet, talented, and didn’t leave clues behind–at least, none that could be traced back to her. Three weeks in, she didn’t have a name, a web handle, even a vague idea of her target’s identity. That just meant it’d take longer. Mikaela wouldn’t give up. She’d just have to play things smarter than her target. A bit of personal chatting with the various hacking victims might get her there–and if not, she’d try setting a bit of bait. … Elizabeth frowned at her computer screen, lying in bed, eyes slightly red from lack of sleep. She needed a diaper change, but that could wait until morning–or the afternoon, depending on whenever she got out of bed. It seemed too good to be true–another target had set himself up for her, all on a silver platter. A single post laid it all out–the story of a man who’d recently acquired massive wealth by convincing several senior citizens that they should buy into a worthless coin. He bragged about it, gloating about the sheer money he’d have coming in soon, and–to just emphasize his stupidity–even posted a screenshot showing off several of the NFTs he’d purchased with the gains. The screenshot included a few too many identifying details, and with only a few minutes of effort, Elizabeth had this stranger’s identity. His wallet wasn’t as full as she’d expected, which implied he might have a bit more intelligence than she’d expected–he likely kept several wallets. Or he’d lied. Going back to the post again, Elizabeth re-read it. He was too obvious. He had too many lines where he mentioned rubbing it in the faces of the people who’d made fun of him for being a late bloomer. The words ‘Nobody’s going to look down on me ever again’ were used twice, and ‘humiliation’ was in the post four times. He even condescendingly referred to his victims as ‘diaper wearing grannies’. Elizabeth got it, then. This wasn’t a victim, laying himself out for her to exploit–it was bait. She had a tail. Grinning, she sat up in bed. Whoever this person was, he’d quickly learn the folly of messing with her–she’d find his real identity, and give him the same treatment as her other victims. And sure, the ploy had been a bit obvious, but it wasn’t braindead. Elizabeth had seen through it only after a second glance, only after giving it some considerable thought. Further, the fact that her opponent had been able to lay the trap at all meant that they’d learned quite a bit about Elizabeth already–enough to know what would catch her interest. She finally had a real opponent, someone else who knew how to play the game. This would be fun. ... I promise I won't do long plugs like this forever, just allow me one more: My Patreon got deleted and I completely lost the income I'd spent three years building from my writing. I'm not going to lie. If I'm not able to rebuild, I won't be able to continue to write as much or as freely as I have these past couple years. My creative freedom has allowed me to write stories like this one, short smutty ideas that I found joy in writing for one chapter or a few, as well as long, emotionally-driven novels like The Baby Bet. Without income from my writing, I will have to find another way to pay the bills, and my writing will slow down to whatever I can manage in my free time. I'm building a new audience over on two other platforms - Ream and SubscribeStar. I am incredibly, *incredibly* grateful to everyone who's migrated to those new platforms, but I'm currently only made up about 15% of what I lost when my Patreon account was obliterated without warning or good justification. If you've enjoyed stories I wrote, and have money to spare, (seriously, though, please don't subscribe if you can't afford it, I don't want to fix my issues by causing some for you,) I'd be very grateful for your support. For now, I'm trying to keep things as close to business-as-usual as possible, which means early access for my supporters and exclusive fiction as well. Ream offers a uniquely good reading experience and allows you to follow without subscribing, and I've spent a couple days uploading my entire library to the site. SubscribeStar also gets all my exclusive content, if you prefer to keep all your eggs in one basket! https://reamstories.com/peculiarchangelingabdl https://subscribestar.adult/peculiarchangeling

Ugh. Was so close to posting this yesterday, but right before I started editing it, I realized I couldn’t find one of my shirts for a family photo on my upcoming trip. Oh well, but at least I’m still making my goal of at least one chapter a day this week before I leave and go on my little hiatus with this story. That being said, looking ahead, things will be a little busy, so I ask for your patience in posting the rest of this story even when I return. By now, my goal is to get it out and completed before the New Year, but things will be posted when I feel comfortable with them. I’m sure most of you would prefer better storytelling to a rushed narrative full of holes and mistakes. Additionally, I just want to note that due to how this story is about to flow, I want to warn you all that there will be some time jumps like that occurred in Chapter 5 previously. I figured in an operation like this and one with so much security with the research facility and caution with both Jennifer and Megan, things wouldn’t proceed very quickly. As such, I just want to warn you all to make sure you pay attention to some of the times I note so you aren’t thinking it’s still February when in fact it’s June for example. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 11: Anything? Jennifer was a professional agent for sure, but I was quickly noticing her other more compassionate and understanding side as well. Her question of ‘how was my day,’ still hung in the air as the car rounded the few streets and then parked in our driveway. Others may have pushed me for an answer right away, but likely seeing the delicate nature of the mission, she just allowed me to take my time. “It was okay,” I finally managed to say once we were back inside and sitting on the couch facing each other. “I see… my day was just okay too…” she answered. There was then a pause between us for a moment. I had declined the snack offered at the daycare today, fearing that it could have been spiked with something as I heard could be the case sometimes in other locations. I used the experiment day juice at lunch to justify that I was still full to the daycare workers at the time, but now, creeping closer to dinner and becoming ravenous, my stomach let out a loud and empty growl. Jennifer smiled at the noise and taking it on herself to take the risk first, she spoke up so that I wouldn’t have to with what actually happened. “You know… my day was a bit difficult if I’m being completely honest.” I looked up and raised my eyebrows. “I saw a bunch of experiments, Megan… some really concerning stuff on my tour today, but… nothing actionable still on the portal though. Maybe the authorities when all this is over, but nothing for our mission.” I nodded. “Same here. Lots of concerning things… they even tested us and yanked out one Little while we were watching a movie. It was…” I wanted to say scary, but the word didn’t feel right to say as a truly non-regressed Little or without being on my drug. “I guess… concerning is the word…? I’m still here and all, but it makes me wonder… how much longer until that Little is me that gets dragged away?” Jennifer then reached forward and patted my leg. “That must be really terrible, but I’m still proud of you, Megan.” “Proud of me?” I asked, not sure what she would even be referring to after what I had just told her about. Jennifer nodded. “Yes. You survived your first day of daycare here. You survived their tests, and that’s no easy feat.” She then paused. “But I understand that you may feel a little down about it all, so I’ll tell you what.” She then stood up and headed over to the kitchen. “We’re going to do something that my family used to do whenever one of us had a rough day.” I racked my brain for what she could be referring to, but after a few minutes, I heard a loud beeping coming from the kitchen. A pleasant smell then wafted over to me, and Jennifer soon returned with two mugs of something steaming from inside them. “We used to have a nice soothing cup of herbal tea, and you might think it to be a little weird, but it helps a lot to cope with what happened.” Now, tea was still around, but it was certainly a much rarer commodity back home, so I rarely drank it, but as soon as I accepted the tea from Jennifer and placed my lips upon the steaming hot beverage, I knew that drinking tea here would probably start to become part of my routine. “Thank you, Jennifer. I don’t think it’s weird at all, and besides, the tea is delicious.” She then smiled back at me warmly after taking a sip of her own tea. “I’m glad. Just don’t be shy about asking for a cup from now on if you need it after I pick you up.” I nodded back and after blowing on my tea a little bit, I took another sip. I then briefly wondered if from what Jennifer had described to me that she now considered me part of her family. It felt too soon in some ways, but it was an admittedly minor thing to truly be worried about. What soon tickled my brain more though, was that based on my first day alone, I wondered just how many teas Jennifer and I would share in the coming times of our mission here. As it turned out, it was quite a lot. The weeks rolled by, and January soon passed into February when Jennifer received a coded message for a time and place to meet up with Amy once more for our debriefing. I hadn’t seen her or even had a single debriefing since my initial encounter with her the night I was captured. Needless to say, even with my thoughts plagued by my own worries at daycare with yet another testing day, our meetup once Jennifer picked me up weighed heavily on my mind. “Hello? Earth to Megan! Earth to Megan!” Kelsey almost shouted at me as she also snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Wha…?” I then realized the rest of the group was staring back at me. “Oh… sorry… just thinking about getting picked up today. Jennifer said we might get a treat afterward,” I partially lied. Jennifer did promise a treat, but it was only after our first debriefing, but the group didn’t need to know the little details like that. “Oh! So jealous of you! Chrissy did something like that the other day but then ruined her new dress all over.” Ben cried out. He… well, technically she was becoming my best source of gossip around here. Ben had been curious about dresses since he was six but had never dipped his toe into anything more than an occasional glance or curiosity. When his caregivers had found out after they took him in though, he was now slowly becoming ‘Beatrice,’ or ‘Bea,’ as most of the staff now called him. Needless to say, he was still struggling with part of it from the suddenness and fast pace of it all, so we still referred to him as a ‘him’ and as Ben until he was more comfortable with what was happening to him. “Which one?” Jasper asked as he adjusted his glasses once more. “Spencer’s or that new place for Littles near the salon on main street?” He was the most mature of the group and I often questioned why he was even here at daycare in the first place or why more daycare workers didn’t focus on him more to try and trick or regress him as they did with others above the preschool level here. We were still friends, but I also knew I needed to keep my distance in case he was used as some sort of Big trap to get other mature Littles to reveal themselves after having a conversation about physics or the meaning of life. “I think Spencer’s…” I said unsure. “Jennifer didn’t say… I just know I’m getting a treat though, so… yay for me either way!” I had to take my victories now where I could. “Ice cweam?” Harry then asked from off to the side of the group. I nodded. “Yeah, buddy. Ice cream.” Harry had only gotten worse since I had first met him. I could still hold a conversation with him, but I kept noticing as each week passed, his abilities seemed to only be decreasing. It almost seemed like dementia or ALS, but he still had his memories and all… but more and more, I couldn’t help but start to think of him as the baby of the group. Jasper, Kelsey, or I had even begun to ensure his safety while we played outside so that he wouldn’t get hurt anymore. It only took a single errant dodgeball to his head last week for us to realize his potential new problems. “Right… anyways…” Ben said, clearly uncomfortable with the downward progress of his friend. I suspected that being the only other one in diapers of the group, at least from what I could see from my view so far, only added to his discomfort around the Little that potentially broadcasted out his own future. “Anyone hear a rumor of the new toys they’re making up at the lab?” “Toys?” Harry asked excitedly. Kelsey chuckled a little bit. “Yes, Harry, toys, but I heard they may not be ready for another few months. Something about wanting even more features and getting stuck with another department.” “Sounds like more than a rumor to me,” Jasper interjected. We all knew he had no real love of toys, but his need to be right or discover things was something that I had noticed as one of his primary drives around here. “That’s because my caregiver, Drew, is some big wig up there,” Kelsey explained. “Management or whatnot, I think… I kind of tune that part out though. More curious just about what new thing he’s making for us down here to try and test out.” “Your Daddy sounds really important then,” Ben noted. “Caregiver…” Kelsey corrected swiftly, “but yes, I think he is. Would never directly share his work with me, but I’ve taken a peek at a few things.” “Just a peek?” I asked, doubtful that it was all she did. Since I had come to know her a few weeks ago, I had learned a lot, but her curiosity was nearly insatiable at times. It had even earned her a timeout two weeks ago when she opened a door she shouldn’t have when she was bored one day while I had been reading a book. Kelsey looked back at me with a twinkle of guilt in her eyes and a smirk growing on her face. “No… I looked through his files when he was watching the track and field event on the TV, but that’s what I just told him when he caught me.” “And he wasn’t mad?” Jasper asked skeptically. “Oh no,” Kelsey clarified, “he was really mad… even said my punishment might be the ‘reverse of the machine’ if I wasn’t careful. Whatever that means anyway… Still, I got a timeout for about an hour.” Before I could ask more questions about Drew, Mrs. Louder then came over to the group and handed Ben and Jasper two pieces of paper. “For your uh, caregivers… all aces today you two.” “Thank you, Mrs. Louder,” both said in unison. Mrs. Louder only smiled and ruffled the ever-growing hair of Ben as she had done on the past few testing days as part of some subgroup that they were in. She probably would have ruffled Jasper’s hair as well, but I found her to be one of the more caring Bigs working here and paid attention to what each of her Littles actually like or didn’t. She could still dole out punishment for sure, like she did when Harry began writing on the walls one day, but she also knew her limits and had a soft side that knew how to actually forgive some of the Littles… unlike Mrs. Harrington. Mrs. Harrington… if there was ever a Big I had truly come to fear so far here, it would have been her. Her rigid and bony form seemed frail from an outsider’s perspective, but every Little she disciplined knew better. In fact, she was even known throughout the daycare for the love she gave to her favorite-colored red paddle that she administered out her justice with, whom she even creepily nicknamed ‘Crimson.’ Today, as a testament to the fear she instilled, she had even taken another Little, Hector. Harry was close to him, so I even played with him after his nap to distract him from the fact that his friend had left without warning only hours ago as Mrs. Harrington had warned of anyone acting out in the next hour would be taken as well. Fearing for his safety, I also knew that while Harry might have been regressing at an alarming rate, he still had his memories and would have certainly reacted sorrowfully regarding his friend Hector. In fact, from his still intact memory, I could even still see glimpses of his original self before all this happened to him. As the group began to be picked up by their respective caregivers, or now for some of them, mommies and daddies, Kelsey and I were the last to leave and looked after Harry to keep him entertained and out of trouble. “You like trains, don’t you, Harry?” Kelsey asked as Harry made cute little chugging noises with the tiny plush train he now was pushing forward on the floor. “Yeah… wemine’s me of da pass… pass…” Harry struggled with saying some words more than others now. “Past?” I offered in order to help him along with what he was trying to say. Harry nodded. “Yeah… use ta be a dwivah… you know… a co… con-duc-to…” I could see him struggle once more and he even looked at me this time to help him out. “Conductor?” I offered up once again. It was times like these that I hoped beyond anything else that I would never reach this level here. I wasn’t sure how long Harry had been at the daycare, but the more I learned about his past, the more I knew that whatever was happening to him, could happen to anyone. It was a fact I was slowly coming to terms with, but also something that was beginning to plague my dreams since I first saw Erin being taken on my first day. Jennifer had rushed in a few of the times during those fearful nights, much to my embarrassment, but she ended up being very comforting about the whole business. I waited for her to console me like a child, but to my relief, I was only offered the sympathy of a caring partner. “Do you aww… dink… abou’ da pass?” Harry asked, his concentration briefly wavering. If I was a betting person and seeing that face like I had in the past few weeks, he was likely just wetting his fresh diaper after his post-naptime bottle of juice. “It’s best not to, Harry,” Kelsey said with a sad look on her face. I still didn’t know why she was here in the first place after moving out of New Eboracum City, but I had a learned that it was better not to ask those types of questions as I had found out when another new Little asked one of the younger ones about their past. It turns out that particular Little, Marcy, had a criminal past and was here as a punishment of sorts by her new caregivers, which the other Little learned of too late and ended up with a black eye and a crayon jammed into her thigh. She ended up in the infirmary with a lollipop afterward. Marcy had gone up to the research facility and still wasn’t the same, though most gave her a wide berth now. Still, all that could have been avoided if just more personal questions weren’t asked in the first place. Harry looked sadder than I had seen him in a long time, so I took it upon myself to try and cheer him up. “I do sometimes, Harry. Kelsey is right that we shouldn’t dwell on it, but I think that just occasionally reminiscing isn’t too bad either.” I quickly looked around as I realized a larger word had slipped into my vocabulary as the drugs that I had taken this morning began to wear off. It wouldn’t automatically give me away, but it could still raise suspicions, something I was still cautious of even a few weeks in here and not even being the newest Little anymore. I felt that one could never be too careful in a place like this. “I’m glad I’m nah da only one…” he said, slightly stroking a stuffed cat I had occasionally seen him with in here before called… Noodles… maybe? The time passed by quickly, and soon, Jennifer picked me up once again. I waved goodbye once more to Miss Ginny by the front desk and then buckled myself into the booster seat waiting for me in Jennifer’s still-running car outside in the parking lot. As we sped off, I instantly noticed that we were oddly leaving town, the first time since I had arrived here. “Evening, Miss Gallup,” Bob, the security guard greeted Jennifer as we approached the gate. “Headed out to the city tonight?” Jennifer shook her head. “No. That’s a little far for us. Just taking a spin out to good old nearby Centerton. I saw from one of the store’s websites that they just got the most darling light fixture that I think would be perfect for my living room.” “Ah,” Bob acknowledged while double checking Jennifer’s ID, “Makes sense. Just be careful driving tonight. I heard a storm might be brewing to the west of here.” Jennifer then took back her ID. “Thanks, Bob. Will do.” She then waved goodbye and we sped off further toward the nearby town. Once we were out of view, my curiosity got the better of me. “So… are we actually going into town to get a light fixture, or…” Jennifer gravely smiled in her rearview mirror. “We actually are going to stop in town to get a light fixture, but it’s also to establish our cover story if anyone asks… like Bob just did. Plus, I did promise you that treat.” I smiled over the treat, but I still wanted to know more. “Oh… so, we’re still seeing Amy, right?” I asked, noticing the openness of everything still out here. If the portal ever did collapse or blew up, I doubted many people would be in harms way for a decent distance outside of the research facility. “We are but remember to keep that a secret… and I mean from everyone, understand?” she questioned me with her serious voice that I had learned to always pay close attention to now. “Absolutely. Won’t even tell Kelsey… even if she asks,” I added on. Kelsey and I were becoming closer friends through all this, and I was very glad about that fact, but at the same time, I just knew there were things she couldn’t know about in my life. After more straight roadways surrounded by little more than trees and grass, the town of Centerton soon came into view. It was barely bigger population-wise than the research facility’s own numbers, but it also served as a hub of sorts around here for some of the bigger brand name stores and dining options. The research facility town had everything a person could need in life, but shopping for that special dress or eating somewhere fancy beyond the one place in town, meant driving here. Instead of heading into the main part of town though, Jennifer veered off into the older section of the town that had fallen on hard times. Few people lived here anymore after the factory had shut down that produced oil-run cars, so most buildings were either dilapidated or even on the verge of collapse in most areas. To the detriment of my nerves though, Jennifer soon parked right outside the old factory building with her lights pointed inward to the almost nearly completely open inside now. With night rapidly approaching, I clearly saw Jennifer flash her lights in a burst of one short, one long, and then two shorts. The other car only flashed theirs twice, but Jennifer quickly seemed satisfied and turned around to face me. “Alright. They’re here. Just answer Amy’s questions as well as you can. She shouldn’t be expecting anything major this time, so just tell the truth.” I nodded my head and quickly unbuckled my booster seat. “I got it. Only the truth.” Jennifer warmly smiled back at me once more and then exited the car. I soon followed and we walked together over to the other car. Halfway there, a voice I didn’t recognize shouted back at us. “Hold. Identify.” Jennifer froze in place, but quickly and confidently replied. “Jennifer. A6G348. Verify.” “HQ. Code word, bumble bee,” the voice replied. I was a little confused, but then quickly remembered back to when Amy had explained there were two sides to all this mess. They were likely confirming each other’s identity to ensure that the mission still wouldn’t be compromised. To my relief and soon, the passenger’s side door of the other car opened, and Amy stepped out. “I’m glad you all could find this place,” she said, walking over to us. “Still in one piece as well, I see, huh Megan?” I just wordlessly nodded my head. “Good. Well, this first time shouldn’t be too long, but I definitely want to hear what you all want to report back to me.” “It’s been a month…” Jennifer quickly tried to justify, understanding Amy’s tone to mean that she wanted results, while also knowing that neither of us really had any at this point. “Yes… and we’ve given you all the resources we could without practically breaking down the door with all our agents,” she noted. “So, why don’t you?” I asked without thinking and more just reacting. I could immediately feel the tension in the air, and I didn’t have to look up at Jennifer now to know that she was likely now grimacing over what I had just asked. Amy just stared back at both of us for a moment and seemed both shocked at the question and my boldness for even asking it in the first place. “Well, she finally said, “if we assaulted the building now, our detractors… enemies more like… might use it to brandish us as traitors or at least disruptors of the peaceful scientists brilliantly working so hard to better progress our society. We would be outcasts and then they would proceed with their testing with a new practically cart blanche sort of attitude in our government. The public would probably even support them and then there would be no stopping anything. Is that what you want?” I hadn’t thought about all the consequences of what it could mean for a government agency to suddenly storm what amounted to a civilian organization… possibly governmentally backed, but still run mainly by ordinary citizens. In embarrassment over what now seemed like a foolish question to the division leader of this mission and sector, I wiggled back a little bit and more into the shadows. Seeing her opportunity to speak up and fill the void from the aftermath of my question, Jennifer spoke up. “Well, ma’am, we’ve both successfully infiltrated the research facility in both our respective positions. We have made several points of contacts and have made several discoveries about events there.” Amy stood and seemed to be waiting for something more. Finally, her impatience gave out. “Is there something more for me, Agent Jennifer?” she asked seemingly less than impressed. Jennifer seemed to stumble around to find her courage to inform Amy of the truth. “We…” she then bowed her head a little bit. “No, ma’am. The intelligence we have gathered is just cursory and possibly only incidental. It may lead to more paths and even actionable intelligence in the future, but not at this time.” Amy’s eyes seemed to quiver in the steadily growing darker abandoned and caved-in factory. The car’s lights were turned on but low, but still cast her in an almost menacing shadow. “How… disappointing,” she said with a great deal of dissatisfaction in her voice. “I expected more from this mission… from you Agent Jennifer…” I wanted to defend her against this woman who barely seemed to make any effort with this project other than its outset. We were the ones infiltrating a highly secure facility. We were the ones on the ground. We were the ones taking the risk… not her. Amy seemed to ponder it all and kept silent for about a few solid minutes. She even looked up at the giant hole in the once strong roof overhead, but then finally looked back down and spoke up. “You two have infiltrated the building in a manner that is at least satisfactory for now. You haven’t been caught, and that says something as well, but,” she emphasized, “we need that actionable intelligence you were talking about previously. I want to know the ticks and the subtleties of that place. I also acknowledge though, that further measures may need to be taken to ensure that success.” She then heavily sighed. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell either one of you of the stakes here. More Littles have gone missing and more bright lights have appeared.” She then paused and looked at me. “You, Megan, might want to start there. Find out who is a portal Little and who is a native. It might give you a pattern to follow of sorts, but it could also give you some common ground as well to get more intelligence with.” She then turned to Jennifer. “As for you… well, by now, I should hope I don’t have to give you suggestions for ways to do your job, do I?” Jennifer then became rigid and practically clicked her heels together as if to salute as some countries used to. “No, ma’am!” “Good,” Amy said with a smile. “The consequences of your failure here could be grave indeed, so I will discuss further options with our intelligence sectors back at HQ. It may take some time to formulate a plan that could be both beneficial to you all while also maintaining your cover and not putting you into immediate danger or as a set up for failure though.” I quickly shook my head to indicate that I didn’t want that, and then Jennifer did as well with a little more grace and rigidity. “Perfect!” Amy exclaimed. “So, with that, your debriefing is done. Go back to the facility but also make sure you get what you needed to ensure the believability of your cover story. I don’t need to hear it, but just get it done, agent.” “Yes, ma’am!” Jennifer called out. Amy only nodded her head and then got back in her car. Before we could even turn to each other once again, their car had sped off into the darkness of the night. Jennifer and I then wordlessly went back to our car and soon drove away as well. I hated the silence, so I spoke up first. “Well, that was… interesting.” Jennifer continued to concentrate on the road getting out of the downtrodden factory district and over to the more brightly lit shopping district. “Yes,” she said sternly. I could tell she was holding back, but I decided to wait until she had parked and maybe even had time to decompress a little bit. Once we had parked though, it turned out that I didn’t need to prompt Jennifer to start speaking again. “That was… ugh! I hate it when those meetings go like that!” she said as she banged her fist on the dashboard of the car. “That happen often?” I asked, unsure about the usual occurrences within the ABI. I had been undercover before, mostly with a gang like most rookie cops were required to do straight out of the academy for practical experience and understanding of the life, but those were usually faster assignments with the high rates of turnover with gangs in the city. “Not very, but more than you might think.” She then sighed. “Still, she at least seemed understanding by the end. Probably an expectation thing, but we do need to try and figure out more. You think that would be possible from your end?” I shrugged. “Maybe? I mean, it’s a daycare after all… not the central hub of intelligence for the facility or anything.” Despite my instincts to the contrary though, I still tried to think of a possibility, and I only came up with one. “There is one thing… but I don’t think I would be willing to do it right now.” Jennifer’s eyebrow rose and she turned further to face me more directly in the car. “What is it?” “Well…” I hesitated even telling her this in the first place out of fear that she would actually want me to do it. “I saw a program… almost like a job for the Littles there at the daycare. We have experiment and testing days but the research lab offers a few more incentives for further testing, but there’s a catch.” Jennfier motioned her hand about for me to continue. “They only accept the more regressed Littles.” “How much more?” she shockingly asked me as if she was actually considering it. “Uh…” My brain still reeled from the possibility of her signing me up for it. “I think a lack of potty training is a requirement… but I really, ummm, I would, uhhh… prefer not…” Jennifer seemed to then clue in about my nervousness quickly and held up her hand to stop me from spiraling further. “Easy, Megan. I’m not considering it myself. I just know that look that Amy gave us. I might not be down for something like that, but when the stakes are this high and there’s even a possibility of learning more… she’ll usually take it.” Not liking that answer at all, I didn’t want to think about it any further and quickly ended the conversation not long after. Jennifer and I then shook off our negative feelings about the debriefing with Amy and went into town to do some shopping. She quickly purchased the lighting feature for her cover story, but then also purchased a candle for herself and a new shirt for me. As we finished our evening with a chocolatey treat at this location of Spencer’s, I thought back to the day that I just had. Kelsey was my friend and my circle of other friends only seemed to continue to grow, but Harry felt like he was regressing more each day now. Then, we had finally met up with Amy, but our lack of progress had been met with more pessimism from her than I was originally expecting. Still, all things considered, I had Jennifer at the end of it all, and the gooey slice of chocolate cake that I now devouring was mostly making up for everything that had been bringing me down. As I looked ahead toward the future though, I only hoped that more days would be of the ending with a chocolate cake rather than be composed of the disappointing day that I had instead. Somehow though, I doubted it.

Please Read this before reading that! Hi everyone! This has been a busy year for me that's led to a lot of inactivity as far as the DD board goes. I've been neglecting a public release schedule that I've promised before, and I plan on making good on that now. I'm sure many of you have heard about many creators from this community losing their Patreons, and I wasn't an exception. The situation sucks, but I'm working on putting things back together. That includes a new Subscribestar which is live now with all the latest chapters of Sheltered and Illegal Immigrant. Slowly moving forward I'll be reuploading previously lost content and stories alongside new stuff that will be coming in more regularly. If you are a previous patron and want to know where I am now, that's where I'll be! There is a public post on that page which goes into a little more detail about everything and my plans moving forward, but regarding here on the board, I'm planning to return to a regular release schedule. With that included, I have Patreon stories that I've featured on here in an incomplete state; I'll be trying to find those and post the remaining halves since it has been quite some time now. But for starters, please enjoy two chapters from Sheltered and Illegal Immigrant. I never imagined myself reaching quite this point as being a creative with diaper stuff, but to everyone that reads or plays my stuff and in some way is entertained by it, has thoughtful feedback, comments or considerations, thank you! Maybe in a way this reset will get me back into some better habits. As per usual, please stay tuned, and consider dropping by the Subscribestar! Thank you! Also, I'm making space for some short-story commissions at $15/1000words (10k words or less) if you're interested! For those who have discussed and we've agreed upon commissions prior, yours will not be affected. Admittedly this is a way to recoup missed opportunities given the circumstances. But aside from all that, please read and enjoy! 19 - Jumping Around “Okay…” Dayna started from her rocking chair, postured like a queen before her masses, all condemned to diapers, bottles and sippy cups whilst she delivered her royal decree. Dawn listened to each and every familiar noise, though. The laminate skin covering the book as it slightly crinkled from opening the book; a much more nostalgic noise than the kind of crinkling she was hearing from her neighbors practically every two seconds. The sound of a flipping page as the air caught underneath it was pushed and moved. It looked and sounded certainly like a real book. Maybe if she closed her eyes, she could disillusion herself into thinking that it was a normal book. But imagining things was hard when reality kept knocking on the doorstep to her brain. The side of someone’s hand right next to her gently pressed against her temple as a not so quiet whisper was funneled into her ear. “I really like froggies!” Kailey, the Little right next to Dawn admitted in a not so secret whisper, giggling, even. And Dawn, too kind to kick a disenfranchised Little while they were still eternally down, offered a weak smile and nodded. “That’s…cool.” It was a small gesture, but it made the girl shiver with excitement like she’d just formed an unbreakable bond with a new best friend. Dawn nearly tipped over to her side once Kailey nudged just a bit closer. Their hips were full on touching now, and the final adult of the two was trying to ignore whatever friendly actions she was trying to take. Even acknowledging Kailey was apparently enough to send the wrong signals, and yet flat out rejecting her felt horribly wrong. “Dawn…?” A voice above the book in an actual quiet voice edged, and Dawn’s eyes drooped, seeing that it was Dayna addressing her. “I want to see that juice gone by the end of this story, okay?” “I’ll finish it when I do…” Dawn quietly seethed, but just to get the Amazon off her back, she reluctantly lifted the bottle, turning her head away from the crowd just to sneak a suck. “Okay, kids?” Dayna addressed everyone this time, trying to get back the oddly short attention spans from all the former adults sitting in attendance. “Are we ready for a story?” “Yeessss!” all but Dawn cheered back in mismatching unison. “Then let’s all be good boys and girls and be good listeners, okay?” Dayna asked clearly and carefully again, perching her hands on either end of the book. “Okayyy!” Another response from the hive mind, and it only brought a toothy smile to the Amazon’s face. “Okay…!” Dayna, the woman a day away from vacation, chuckled. Dawn cringed the moment she stared up at the woman, ordering and bossing her around. The eyes, the smile. The easy going attitude she had despite it being just another weekday of work. What did a little bit of trouble matter at a shift of work if it meant having a whole week– no, two? A holiday or a vacation right after? It suddenly made the day-to-day so easy and doable just from knowing that nothing but freedom and relaxation came right after it. That was the problem, though. Dawn got it. She understood it. Staring up at the Amazon, for once a sickly feeling of empathy stabbed her like an invasive needle. It made her grimace, turning away for another swig of her bottle of juice. It made her feel weak. Incompetent. Disenfranchised and debilitated, sitting in a diaper at a storytime circle while the “adult” in the room told her how to act and behave. Dayna got to be the king of the castle and was free after today. She was her own person, and right now that was so much more than Dawn could speak to. The only thing that slightly tugged her out of her mental misery right then was Dayna interrupting her thoughts with a beginning narrative. “There once was a pretty little pond hiding away in a big green and lush forest! Snails, beetles, fish, dragonflies, and of course,” she paused for just a brief moment, just to look right at Kailey whose knees were already quivering excitedly, “frogs!” While they were asked to be quiet, that didn’t mean Littles weren’t allowed to express emotion, hence why Kailey could giggle and bounce without reserve. “And in that pond…” Dayna went on, smiling over such an engrossed audience, “lived the bounciest, most jumpy frog there ever was; Jeremy!” “Can we see? Can we see?” Kailey was practically begging, bouncing on her bottom and soon enough getting the other Littles to join in. “You’ll all get to see, just be patient now!” Dayna laughed, and Dawn couldn’t look more disinterested. Nevertheless, she watched the Amazon turn around the large and wide story book, holding it lower to the ground to showcase the illustrations that she was privy to first. It was a print of a watercolor painting of a pond inhabited by all its usual fauna and foliage. Fish were swimming, birds were chirping, ducks looked like they were quacking, and so forth. But of course they weren’t the realest depictions of their counterparts. Rather, the illustrator must have decided beaks and bills could curve enough just to smile, and all eyes had pupils like people. The showcase was long and slow, starting on one end of the crowd, slowly panning to the other end where Dawn was sitting. Heads and faces were turning and poking out just to watch the still image for as long as possible, leading to Kailey’s head and hair knocking against Dawn who was trying not to bother looking. But of course, Dayna stopped right when it reached Dawn. “Dawn, sweetie? Don’t you wanna see the pictures?” “I saw it a second ago.” Dawn answered right back, looking squarely up at Dayna, specifically avoiding the book. “No you didn’t!” Joe Schmoe, the adult in diapers down the aisle, loudly accused her. “I saw!” he announced again that he saw what he didn’t see. “She didn’t look!” “Liam?” Dayna butted in with a slightly stern voice, “We don’t point at others.” “But she didn’t…!” he whined right back, like it somehow mattered. “And that’s okay,” Dayna said calmly right back. Apparently now she was an advocate for Dawn which rubbed her the wrong way. A bitch was a bitch if she kept being a witch. Kindness killed the momentum and muddied the waters, but Dawn was still quite certain that she didn’t like Dayna, just like every other Amazon, even if she kept bratty adults off her tail. “But Dawn,” Ah, thank goodness. It’s easy to hate her again. “It’s rude to turn your head when someone tries to show you something?” “--But you just said I didn’t have to?” Dawn blurted right back in an incredulous voice. “Yes I did, but that doesn’t mean you have permission to be rude,” Dayna scolded her, and Dawn was fighting back the urge to use a vile set of words. She had yet to say anything, but whatever story her face was telling, Dayna was picking up on it like blood in the water. “Dawn?” Dayna gave her a look, and Dawn was doing her best to internalize what was dying to burst out. Make good choices… Make stupid…fucking stupid good choices… Dawn exhaled instead of speaking, feeling all the eyes on her. The only reason she had no supporters nor opposition could have only been because of the Amazon sitting in the chair. Her words built a wall that kids were simply too trained, disciplined and scared to try climbing. The fact that her “peers” were victims to that same concept spoke volumes about how warped things were here. She lifted her knees, laying her arms on them and finally perching her chin on them. Putting on her best ‘I’m totally not pissy voice’, she said, “Okay. I’m looking.” Her eyes were certainly pointed at the pages. Her face was undeniably aimed at the thing that Dayna was holding. But that was it. She wasn’t “seeing” anything. Nothing more than red, and her imagination speculating all the cool and cunning things that she could have said or could have done. “Can we see the next page…?” Kailey asked Dayna in a shy voice, and whatever “smile” Dayna was giving Dawn, it looked a bit more genuine once the other Little was on the receiving end of it. “Not until we read it, silly!” And like that, the tension was cut and Dawn was freed from the magnifying glass. Thank God for Kailey’s curiosity. But either way, even if Dawn was calming down, her bladder certainly wasn’t. It was feeling fuller and she was becoming more squeamish with each second. Internally, of course. That didn’t stop her from glancing at all the other littles, wondering for just a second in morbid and fearful curiosity. Do they actually…use them? Willingly? They had to. It was a given. The looks on their faces, the way they acted…they were so…subdued. Like nothing bothers them. Like this was normal. All of this. The treatment, the talks. Their clothes, their circumstances and undeniable demise. But confronting that apparently didn’t matter. Not when they had stories being read to them. Not when they had stories, and not when Dawn had to stay under the radar that she was flying dangerously close to. Staring at her own personal demise, finally she lifted the bottle again, disappointing herself with the touch of a silicone nipple. “And Jeremy said to Mr. Birdy,” Dayna’s voice flipped from her narration to impersonation, and upped her pitch with a twinge of croak, “Why don’t you like to eat flies? They’re so yummy!” And while the crowd erupted into a fit of giggles and laughs, half of Dawn’s brain was trying to see the humor in something so simple while also trying to remain inconspicuous. She didn’t have much time, unfortunately. There wasn’t much to read on each page of the book, meaning they were fed quite often some sort of image to look at, just to tickle their curiosity into being excited for the next. Big moments in the story had more than just Kailey bouncing now and the Little Learners Corner sounded like it was experiencing a localized thunderstorm “Let us see!” “We wanna see!” “Please? Please?” They’d stick their heads out with pleading eyes just to be the first to see what Dayna had to show. Dawn wasn’t coincidentally looking away anymore, but she was maintaining her practice of seeing “through” whatever fiction was being advertised to her.. “Boys, hands to ourselves, please!” Dayna would remind them unfortunately often, which referred to every time they were putting their hands on the legs of their neighbor just to lean over for a view of the book for longer. “And then…splat! Splat! Splat!” Dayna’s voice popped with each audible sound effect, She showed the next image. Jeremy the frog demonstrated his culinary interests to his flying friend by feasting on the nearby flying insects with his super stretchy tongue. “That one’s my favorite!” Kailey declared, bold enough to make such a claim before the book was even half over. “No, the bird one was better!” Liam, the Little rediscovering a “phase” was busy with the ‘n’ word again. Both spoke of their opinions like they were facts, and in that simplified context, maybe they weren’t far off from being actual adults after all. And Kailey, a devout believer in the church of froggies shouted right back, “Nooo-uh! Frogs are better!” “No! Birds!” “Kids?” Dayna tried cutting in, and Dawn was seeing an opportunity. Subtly… Slowly… Finally she was feeling less of Kailey’s hip smooshed against hers as millimeter by millimeter she tried scooching across the carpet to a place where she could afford herself some privacy. Her time was limited as she could only keep her bladder calm for so long… In a wild turn of events, Kailey’s head spun on Dawn, far too fired up to notice the couple of inches that’d formed between them. “Dawn? Frogs are better, right?” She spoke like Dawn was a sister in arms ready to lay down her life for a greater cause. For the reputation of frogs that risked being removed from its pedestal by some annoying guy and his equally irrational and fanatical love for birds. “Kailey? Liam? It’s okay to like both, you know?” Dayna reminded, but the two seemed steadfast in their claims. Yes…just keep arguing over stupid stuff some more… Almost! Now it was Dawn’s turn to watch Dayna like a hawk. She scrutinized where she looked and where she didn’t. Kailey and Liam were stubbornly debating to a point that Dayna finally interrupted to scold them both, leaving the other poor Little out of a story on account of the selfishness of two others. Well, as Dawn finally leapt to her feet and scampered off to one of the bookshelves, she knew her time was limited, which is why she dropped to a squat, sighing as she tried to grunt and bear down what she wanted to stay inside of her. It was like running up against a wall, but it wasn’t strong when it was already cracked from having to sit still and keep on drinking juice. Finally a hot, uncomfortable spurt escaped her, and the stream started. It flowed and seeped, absorbing and soaking her underwear, if only for a brief moment. It was quick but that didn’t make it any more emotionally painless. She was peeing herself. Wetting. Just like every Amazon wanted. Just like fucking Dayna wanted…! She stood back up and felt her face quiver at the unusual warmth between her legs. She was wet, but she wasn’t. She couldn’t feel the liquid, but it’d been absorbed and wasn’t going anywhere. Not until she got an exact replacement for what she’d do the same exact thing in. It was an unfortunate inevitability. “Dawn?” And her time was up. “Honey? Where did you go?” “Is she playing hide and seek?” Kailey, innocent and clueless, asked loudly and curiously. “I’m here, I’m here,” Dawn quickly spoke up once she reappeared and tried playing it cool. “What?” “Dawn, the story isn’t over yet, honey? Come sit down,” Dayna beckoned her back on over, then noticed another thing. “Sweetie, why did you bring that book?” Holding an excuse in her hands, Dawn glanced down at it. “Oh. I wanted to read something, so I went and grabbed it.” “But we’re already reading something?” Dayna with her unending intellect countered her. “You can read that after. Come on back to the circle.” “But I finished my juice?” Dawn, picking up a bad habit, pointed at the empty bottle where she had been sitting. “So shouldn’t I be able to go read my own stuff now?” “Then we have to wipe your hands, sweetheart, so let’s wait until this story’s done so I can clean you up.” Clean up. What, did she roll through a mud puddle, or something? She certainly felt filthy given what the diaper she was wearing was like, but by Amazon standards she was probably as clean as a whistle. Well, save for her hands, if Dayna’s opinion was anything to go by. “Where are the wipes?” Dawn huffed, looking around for the dreaded diaper bag. “I’ll wipe my own hands…” But apparently Dayna wasn’t as cunning as she made herself out to be. Either that or she didn’t care to be particularly crafty. “Dawn, do I need to tell Mommy that you were misbehaving?” If she didn’t feel like playing a game to convince Dawn of what the right thing to do was, she needed only to hang a stupid, pointless threat over her head. She grit her teeth and they stared each other down for just a few seconds. Dawn opened her mouth and said, “Well, Dayna, I understand that it may seem like I’m misbehaving, but my Mommy wanted me to find a book on my own that I enjoyed? Unfortunately, I haven’t found the right book yet, so it’s really important I have some time to do that?” “And you’ll have plenty of time to find a story that you like,” Dayna answered dismissively. “Do I need to count? Sit back in the circle, please.” Count? A very frustrating memory resurfaced, and flashes of Katherine giving her the dreaded one-two-three which ultimately ended with her nose in the corner came back as well. An unbelievably unjust punishment that never survived the journey to a court of appeals that’d never support her cause. It was a debatable act of kindness, given how atrocious all these books were, but Dawn had enough grace to set the book back down without dropping it disrespectfully, ultimately walking back to the circle, choking down a pissy look and attitude. “Dawn…are you mad?” Kailey quietly whispered as the story continued. “No…I’m fine.” Dawn tried to dismiss her as best as she could. “...Okay…” And back to her thousand yard stare she went, feeling more and more disturbed the longer she had to sit with a warm pad pressing against her behind. On and one the story went. More and more pictures that Dawn pretended to see. She was quiet and emotionless, letting the time pass by as her brain starving for meaningful stimulation rotted away. And finally… “And Jeremy hopped back to his home in the pond, happy as could be!” Dayna declared, softly shutting the book. Finally…it’s over…. “Can we read another one?” The other boy who had yet to be openly named asked the question. And unfortunately his opinion wasn’t unpopular. “Yeah! I wanna read another!” “Can we? Please?!” The Littles were begging and Dawn was revolting. Another one? Another stupid, simple and dumb story that had nothing to teach other than what maybe lived in a pond? Kailey got her stupid high from hearing a book about frogs, so why did she need any more?! But before things could sway too much, Dawn quickly piped up. “Dayna? Can you wipe my hands first?” Dayna’s head swiveled and followed each person who had something to say, giving them the attention their words probably didn’t deserve, but she was impartial anyway. “Tell you what, we’ll read another one soon, okay? You all must be pretty thirsty, huh?” She stood from the rocking chair, dusting off her spotless skirt. “Why don’t we get you all something to drink for a little bit then we can choose another?” “Okayyy!” Dawn was the first of the Little few on her feet and tailed Dayna like a caboose over to the line of diaper bags on the book shelf. “Oops! Careful, Dawn!” Dayna chuckled as she turned, nearly colliding with the relatively tiny woman. “Coming through!” she walked ahead of her, baby bottles and sippy cups in hand. “Let’s see…this one is for Liam…” she muttered as she distributed, and Dawn impatiently waited for her to finish. But as she did so, Dawn noticed each trip to give something to a Little ended with circling right behind them. Peeling back pants or lifting the hem of a short dress. Padded rumps and plastic white flashed on each and every one of them as Dayna wordlessly administered a diaper check to each and every one of them. Not only that, but Dawn looked far from happy to see a bottle with an all too familiar juice inside of it. She was one Little away from supposedly being done, yet she had that bottle of juice and a sippy cup that she knew wasn’t hers. As ignorant as Dawn was to this world, she wasn’t foolish enough to not notice a deal that wasn’t being upheld. Not only that, but she was bound to be getting a diaper check, and that meant… “Dawn?” Dayna was already in front of her, holding out the bottle. “Wh…what? I’m full,” Dawn promptly refused and declined. “I don’t want any more juice.” This was somewhat true, actually. “But you may want it later?” Dayna tempted and deceptively omitted the consequences of taking such a thing. “Maybe later, but not now. Besides, you said you’d wipe my hands after the story so I can go read my own stuff?” “Sweetie, I promise there’s going to be time for that later?” Voila. The goalposts did in fact move. “I want to read books by myself. Now. You promised,” Dawn tried to reason, having nothing more than Dayna’s supposedly good word to fight against. Yet it all felt like a game that she was destined to lose. “Dawn…” Dayna’s patience was dwindling with each consonant as she crouched to her knees, holding out the bottle like a literal olive branch; one that was only a benefit to one party. “Take your juice.” But Dawn had been pushed enough. The consequences of telling Katherine exactly what happened were starting to bother her less and less now. If she was told exactly what happened, maybe, just maybe Katherine would be on her side, or at least incredibly lenient. Dayna wasn’t playing fair and she knew it, and therefore Dawn was undoubtedly in the right. “No.” “No?” Dayna repeated. “Do I need to count?” And feeling especially annoyed, Dawn fumed as passively as she could right back by spouting, “One. Two. Three. There, I counted for you. I said I didn’t want any juice, and I’m not listening to another story. I’m trying to be as nice as I can right now, but you’re making that pretty difficult…!” Her argument was a mix of reasoning and sass, and unfortunately just a drop of that was all she needed to spoil her entire case, assuming there would even be one without. Dayna’s eyes went wide with surprise, likely astounded that Dawn had the audacity to be so bold. “That is no way to talk to a grownup, young lady!” Sure enough, Dayna wasn’t happy. “Dawn, you march your bottom over here right this instant!” She wanted her within arms reach, and the implications of that made her shiver. “A…absolutely not,” Dawn muttered as she stepped back. “I-I made a fair point! You said I only had to listen to one story! If I take that juice I have to sit in that stupid circle again!” “We do not say ‘stupid’!” Dayna reprimanded. “Dawn, do I need to come over there, or are we going to be a good girl and do as we’re told?” “I’m doing exactly what you promised me! Waiting for my hands to be cleaned so I can read a book!” “Does this mean I’m going to have to tell your Mommy how you’ve been misbehaving for me?” There it was, her best weapon to “control” Dawn. But the novelty was gone and its excessive use dulled the edge it once had. Whether that meant Dawn was the idiot for no longer caring didn’t change what she was going to do. Constant exposure made her forget the fear, which is why she crossed her arms. “Yeah, I guess so.” There was a gasp, but neither from Dawn nor Dayna. Kailey, though, held her hands up to her mouth, watching with a sippy cup sneaked away in the crook of her arm, watching like it was a soap opera. “Kailey, sweetheart?” Dayna turned her head, back to a professional smile that Dawn was learning to be maybe not as sincere as she once originally thought. “Could you go play with Liam and Tommy, please? Dawn and I need to have a little chat.” A chat. Alone? With her? She spun her head, looking for a witness that wouldn’t be willing to disappear at just the beck and call of an Amazon, much less one with a nametag. But it was just them as Kailey quickly crinkled off. “Okay…I’ve tried being nice, young lady…” Dayna started as she started to stand. The moment she took her first towering, country-crossing step forward, Dawn worriedly blurted out, “I-I want Mommy!” Dayna froze, but only for a second. “Mommy’s not here right now. Does she need to know that you’ve been bratty for me this whole time?” “I…I don’t care! I want…I want Katherine!” It was an instinctual response that she was praying for like a get out of jail free card. Well, maybe not get out of jail, but escape whatever shit she’d just brewed with Dayna. But it wasn’t fair…! She did everything she was supposed to! Dawn quickly paced back, finally to the point that she was practically jogging down the aisles just to avoid Dayna. “Dawn, come here right this instant!” “No!” Dawn yelped back, occasionally weaving past the few Littles in the pen. Shit! Shit! Why was this happening? Was she going to be punished? Was a literal stranger going to spank her? Spanking or not, she certainly wasn’t letting someone touch her privates or go anywhere near her nether regions. No matter how much Katherine and James liked to overstep her boundaries, it didn’t make it any more okay than when they did it. But Dayna, someone who Dawn had even less experience with; none, actually, she had absolutely no right to that. Besides, wasn’t she doing far more than Katherine asked her to? Either way, she refused to be caught and she was willing to do anything to avoid it. She just needed something clever, because the only thing she had was playing musical chairs around a few different bookshelves that gave her enough time to outmaneuver Dayna. In theory, at least. It wouldn’t last for long though, which is why her frantic and panicked mind resorted to a simple, stupid, yet hopefully effective trick. Kailey was coming up as Dawn sprinted with a crinkle, busy sucking down her sippy cup as she watched curiously while the Little on the run raced right by her. Like a soft glancing blow, Dawn’s hand shot out, lightly tapping Kailey’s bare shoulder while she zoomed on through. Only after she was about to round the corner again, she shouted: “TAG! You’re it!” For maybe just a fraction of a second she thought it hadn’t worked, like somehow she just tempted an adult into a juvenile game that no one would fall for. No one other than an actual kid, obviously. But Kailey in the grand scheme unfortunately met Dawn’s expectations. Not more than a fraction of a second and it was a shrill, disappointed gasp from the girl. “Heyyyy…! You didn’t say we were playing!” Kailey cried, but Dawn could hear the girl on her feet. Maybe she was chasing after Dawn, or maybe she wasn’t. She couldn’t have been that committed though because next Dawn heard her shout the same mantra, only it wasn’t Dawn she’d touched. Now another Little was part of the game, and quickly another. Soon enough a whole flock of Littles were racing around the corner like it was chaos. “Tag!” “Tag, you’re it!” “No backsies!” “Liam’s it! Liam’s it!” It didn’t change that Dayna wanted Dawn, but the learning corner was only so big. It didn’t change that the Amazon with only so much vision around entire bookshelves had to start being wary of darting Littles that could or could not have been the one she was looking for. “Kids? Boys, girls, this isn’t where we play tag! It’s snack time, remember? Don’t you want another story?” Dayna tried to appeal to their sense of reason, but clearly she’d forgotten that somewhere along the way it’d been killed like their probable distaste for diapers. Pandemonium ensued and the one woman in charge couldn’t convince them to cease the commotion. Dawn paused and raced, finding just the right moments to dart from one spot to another. She avoided Dayna much more deftly now, especially with a few other diversions racing around. They giggled and laughed, and Dayna was trying to scold and be stern, but it was hardly working. But the madness could only last for so long. “Boys, girls?” Dayna raised her voice, much more than she had before. It was iron-willed and stern, and the giggles and laughs stopped almost immediately. The pattering of feet stopped instantly and the game died on the spot. “Do I need to tell your Mommies and Daddies that you’ve been misbehaving?” She waited for just a few seconds, letting the suspense sink into their fragile hearts. “Do I?” Her head panned across the room, like she was looking for someone to call her bluff. Probably someone other than Dawn, who was still at large, now hiding out of sight. There were quiet murmurs and whimpers. While a resistance was started quickly, so too was it killed. “Dayna?” A voice out of sight spoke, and salvation had been reached. “Is everything okay?” She needn’t hear another word. Dawn was careful to take the right path down an empty aisle, slipping by Dayna and right for the exit. The joy in her voice was really just the relief from narrowly avoiding punishment, as Dawn cheered, “Katherine!” She raced right up to her and planted her feet right by the Amazon’s side, looking nothing but surprised. “Katherine?” Dayna from the other end repeated, sounding with a bit of disbelief. “Katherine, you let her call you that?” The Amazon far too late to the party with none of the story blinked, then stuttered, “N-no, I…it’s something we're working on, so… Is…is something wrong?” Dawn’s eyes met Dayna’s for just a second, then she looked back up at the other giantess and spoke. “Well yes, actually… Katherine, I’m sorry, but your daughter has been misbehaving.” “What?” Katherine sounded surprised, and the tone actually made Dawn feel uneasy, like it’d suddenly become an open and shut case without any presentation of the facts. But before the train could run away with the verdict, Dawn blurted back, “No! She’s lying! Kath…” Dawn started to say, but she could see the wrinkle in Katherine’s brow, “M-Mommy!” Whatever it took to win her over. “I’ve been doing what she’s asked, but she’s doing stuff she’s not supposed to!” For a second Katherine glanced over at her coworker, then down back at the Little. “Like what?” “She doesn’t have permission, but she was touching me! She was giving me juice when I didn’t ask for it, and she’s been forcing me to sit and listen to stories instead of letting me read! She doesn’t have permission to do that! I gave in and did what she wanted, but she’s not even being fair! She said I could read after, but she’s just gonna make me listen to another one instead!” “Katherine,” Dayna’s words stepped right over Dawn’s, “She was using a little bit of language, as well…” “Dawn!” And yet somehow the tables had been turned entirely. It wasn’t even a defense. It wasn’t a rebuttal. Her argument was side-stepped just so this underhanded Amazon could claim something even more damning. The disapproval in Katherine’s voice made Dawn recoil, but she doubled down. “She’s lying! Yes! I said ‘stupid’ once! But that’s not language, or whatever stupid thing you guys call it! Naughty words? I’ve been behaving! I’ve been calling you Mommy! All I want in return is peace and quiet! I don’t want to deal with someone like her!” she shouted, stomped and pointed at the other Amazon, finally pissed as could be. “She…! She was going to check me! Then she was going to change me, and she’s not allowed to do that! No one is! I said ‘no’ and she wouldn’t listen! I…I tried! I really did!” She did try! She really fucking did! Dayna stepped forward, walking over to the Amazon and Little, and Dawn immediately backpedaled herself behind Katherine’s leg like a tree she could chain herself to. “Katherine, I can take care of her, okay? I know you’re busy, so just let me handle this?” Dayna offered, and Dawn was feeling more genuine fear to be trapped with this woman by the second. And as horrible as it felt to say, or to ask or maybe even beg, Dawn muttered, “Mommy…please!” Dawn’s defense had crumpled. Her legs that she used as walls turned around and fell out of reach, but only because an arm swept her from behind to lift her up, taking her to the same heights as the one she wanted nothing to do with. “I appreciate it, Dayna, but I think I’m gonna take an early lunch.” Katherine smiled at her hesitant coworker, stepping into the penned area just to lift her deposited bag from the shelf. “Are those one of her bottles?” Katherine asked, pointing out what Dayna had in her hand. “It is,” Dayna answered, handing it over. “But Katherine, I really don’t mind watching her?” “I know you don’t, and I’m sure I’m gonna have to impose on you again,” Katherine spoke as she adjusted Dawn in her arm, more thankful than she would have liked to have been liberated. “I just think she needs some downtime right now, though. I’m sorry for giving you such a handful!” Dawn didn’t care if she was a handful. Whatever it took to be left alone. “It’s fine, really!” Dayna waved her hand, looking pleased to find something related to workplace banter again. “Thank you for watching her! If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to start that lunch break early!” Katherine announced, and with a miraculous turn of events, she was free. “Th…thank you…” Dawn whispered against Katherine. The atmosphere and the situation had become far too much for her to handle. That instance of tag was her final wind at trying to prolong an inevitable horror she wasn’t ready to face. It may have been instigated by herself, but it wasn’t right that she had to bend over backwards for everything…! “K-Katherine, I promise, I was doing what I was supposed to! I–” “Dawn, please? Please call me Mommy?” Katherine reminded. It wasn’t directly from a place of wanting it for herself, but the undertones of conformity and appearance were also there. But most importantly, it was something that’d been asked of the Little, and she needed to do everything she could to maintain Katherine’s good graces. While she saved her, she didn’t look the happiest, either. “Mommy,” Dawn spoke with the same emphasis, “I…I tried…! She…she just wasn’t cooperating!” “Dawn…” Katherine sighed, taking them someplace where there were no people, of which Dawn noticed there seemed to be considerably more now. “I’m…I’m sure you did what you thought was right, but you know you can’t misbehave for other grownups.” “I wasn’t…!”Dawn tried to stress. “I did what I was supposed to! I listened! I drank from those bottles when she gave them to me, even when I didn’t ask for them! She kept touching my diaper even when I told her not to! I was looking through those dumb books just to find something that I could tell you about! Like we promised! She made me put them down just to sit in a circle and listen to a story I didn’t even want to read! I did all of that! I did all of it for YOU!” Dawn finally heaved, feeling the air leaving her lungs. “And…and when I finally said no…!” she winced, and hating herself for it, she sniffled. “She…she was gonna punish me… I was scared. I was so…so scared…!” It was James all over again. The painful spanking. The soap in her mouth. Stacy taking her clothes. Stacy smothering her face with hand soap, degrading her in front of the mirror in the bathroom… A needle up her ass, and all the same humiliation she had faced with that plump woman in the bathroom. The very first thing that sent her down this mortifying, unforgiving spiral. She did it all to avoid that. To avoid all those things that made her into the mess she was, and trained her to be so fearful of every single person more than double her height. Her hands were clutching the fabric of Katherine’s uniform, and before she knew it her eyes were watering. Everything thus far had made her doubt this world and everything that came with it. Everyone included. Katherine was no different, no more than what circumstances afforded her. If Dawn took just a second to think, she could conveniently turn this woman into yet another object of hatred, distrust and fear, but her selfish and frazzled nature is all that she needed to ignore the truth. Even if it was temporary, despite what Katherine had done herself, it wasn’t enough to deter Dawn from thinking she was safe for at least a little bit. Katherine would scold her. She’d be stern and rocksteady. She could give punishments and she could be bossy. She lied and she was deceptive, but in spite of that she was still willing to offer mixed messages disguised as kindness, and Dawn wanted to be the fool. Just for a little bit, she wanted to fall for the illusions and convince herself that this was a refuge. The hand on her back under the right lens was caring and assuring, and the crook between her neck and shoulder with the right filter was a safe haven for her head. If Katherine wanted to trick her, Dawn would trip over every wire and step on every plate. Anything if it meant taking just doses of Katherine’s reality, and none from no one else. Just while her mind and body recovered. And her ache subsided for just a second once she felt the woman’s squeeze. “We’re gonna talk about this in a little bit. Understood?” “Uh huh…” In just a moment of weakness, Dawn could feel the fingers hook the back of her diaper and jeans, tugging them back. It was foolish, delusional and pathetic, but the only thoughts that registered in the Little’s mind was that it wasn’t Dayna. It wasn’t some complete stranger. It was someone she didn’t want looking at her private places, but it was the same person she was seeking rescue from. The words made her feel small and shudder, but that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. The thought of how much more it could have been with Dayna made her feel far more uncomfortable. “Just a little wet…” 20 - Dumb and Difficult “...Where are we going?” Dawn finally mumbled over Katherine’s shoulder. It was a fair question. After all, with the way she was being held and carried, all Dawn could see were the places they had been rather than the ones they were headed to. “We need to go to the break room. There’s a fridge that has the lunch I made for us in there,” Katherine explained as they walked, and Dawn had the misfortune of seeing the Amazons that had amassed while she spent the early day in total confinement. All of them, teasing her so unfairly. They didn’t give her looks, wave or say anything, but their hands carried books, thin and thick, wide and slim, fingering through pages just to tease the poor girl. “I’m not hungry…” Dawn moped, only with an appetite for reading that she’d never get to satisfy. Had Katherine not made her agree to some stupid, pointless promise, the tiny girl would be leveraging their agreement to let her see some of the other books right about now. “You’re gonna eat something…” Katherine calmly insisted, shuffling the Little sitting on her arm just a bit. “I know I didn’t pack you any snacks?” “I still don’t wanna eat…” Dawn mumbled again. Knowing Katherine, it was either going to be some horrendously spicy food, or…or eggs, even? An egg salad? Something just to grind the girl’s gears. Everything just put her off to everything. Especially the warm feeling from her underwear. Underwear she couldn’t do anything about. But it wasn’t going to keep her from trying. Even if it was futile, it was still the principle. “I want to go change.” “We’ll change you in a little bit, okay? Maybe after lunch.” “Why just ‘maybe’?” Dawn sulked, “Why do you have to say it like it might not happen?” “Because, Dawn, we can’t bring your entire nursery everywhere we go? I only brought so many of your diapers, sweetie.” “Please…” After just being graciously rescued from one tyrant, the Little being carried right then wasn’t looking to totally sour the mood with the other. “I don’t wanna argue…I don’t need diapers…I’m not gonna go through however many you brought…!” “I don’t want to make you upset either,” Katherine insisted as she rubbed the back of the girl’s head. “Okay, I promise we’ll change you after lunch. Deal?” “...Fine.” Hollow victories. At some point they reached a door, not that Dawn would know other than through audible cues. A digital beep of some kind and one turn of a door handle later and the pair were in a different room set aside from the public sphere. “Oh hey Katherine!” A woman called, and Dawn just tried to admire the decor. Even their break rooms had just as much time and money spent on the design like the front end of things. Expensive looking ceiling designs with intricate wooden fixtures, polished tiled floors, and even beds of fresh greens to liven things up… “Hi Lucy! Coffee time?” “Coffee time…!” The Amazon sighed back, sharing in a mutual understanding. “I swear, it’s starting to become my vice… Can you believe that there’s Littles who drink this too? Well, once they can though, it’s mostly cream and sugar at that point!” I use cream and sugar… Dawn looked bitter, but kept her voice down, trying to remember what a supposed blessing it was just to be here and not with Dayna. “Mm…I don’t think I could handle mine tasting sweet,” Katherine agreed, but there was no slight or mocking comment. And just when things felt as normal as they could get, “Oh! Oh my gosh! Is that your new daughter!?” “Yep she is!” Katherine replied chipperly, and Dawn reclining herself a bit more could watch the fridge open from the corner of her eye. “Her name’s Dawn.” “Well hi there, Dawn!” Lucy, a fellow coworker of Katherine’s pivoted around to a spot where Dawn couldn’t do anything but look at the woman. Her smile was wide and her cheeks were rosy. It was like another Dayna. “Hi.” Dawn waved, then went mute again. “Not so chatty, huh?” Lucy sounded like she was keeping the indifference in stride. “It’s her first time here, so she’s a little shy…” Katherine explained apologetically, but the woman was already waving it off. “No, no worries! Are you having lunch already?” “Yes, we are,” Katherine nodded, and once she had whatever she needed, the door was closed. “It was my first time leaving her with someone else, so I think I missed her a little too much…” And maybe it was just playing things up to Lucy, but Dawn felt Katherine’s affectionate squeeze with her final words. “Oh, Dayna? She’s on diaper duty today, isn’t she?” Diaper duty…at least this one doesn’t try to make it sound like anything that it isn’t. “She’s running the corner today, yeah. I just picked Dawn up from there, actually.” “I’m sure she’s excited to be on vacation after today. Did Dawn get to hear any fun stories?” “I…actually didn’t get the chance to ask her yet,” Katherine paused for a second, and Dawn hoped it would stay at that. “Did she read anything fun, Dawn?” And just like that, the spotlight was on her. Not just Katherine, but another coworker now too. “We read about frogs…” Frogs. Froggies, and all their friends in the pond. Stupid smiling faces about learning what all the other imaginary animals and insects do in their habitat. Call her a skeptic, and maybe just ignorant of the way animals live their lives in this dimension, but somehow Dawn still doubted that ducks mingled with playing cards. “Ooou~!” Lucy wow’ed, slipping her eyes from Dawn and up to her guardian like they were trying to appeal to the excitement in the girl that didn’t exist. “That sounds cool! I know we have lots of stories about animals, so I think you’re gonna have a lot of fun here!” “She really likes to read, actually,” Katherine included, and Dawn just wanted them to leave. If only she could say that without being chastised for being “rude.” “Really? So like Mommy, like daughter, huh?” Lucy quipped, then laughed. “That’s so cute!” Cute? It was cute? Then did that mean Amazons liking to read was cute? Or was it for them somehow dignified? Intriguing? Fascinating? Something more than what Dawn got, surely. Fuck, the most it ever could be was cute, assuming what she had for reading variety now was all that she ever got. How badly she wanted to go home. Her actual home. “And I promised her we were gonna go look at some books after we eat, so I’m sorry to cut this short…!” Katherine apologized, and Lucy only laughed. “No, no! Go, go! I’m so sorry for butting in! Bye Dawn, it was nice meeting you!” Thankfully, they were gone and moving elsewhere. They left with a lunch in hand, but now a nugget of confusion was sprouting in Dawn’s head. “...Hey,” “Hm?” Katherine rubbed her back. “Are…are we really looking at the books?” “After we eat?” Katherine cocked her head a little closer. “You’ll need to eat something if you want to, though.” “...But I didn’t keep my promise…” Behave and find a book to tell Katherine about. That was the deal, as dumb as the second half was. So was the first, but it was more reasonable than telling the girl to get down and dig deep through a sea of sewage misunderstood as reading material. “But you tried, didn’t you?” Katherine reminded, striking a weird chord with the girl. “I wish you could have behaved the whole time, but I know this is a lot for you…so I can be patient. As long as you’re trying.” Trying felt wrong to say, or at least Dawn didn’t want to admit to anything like it. She wasn’t trying to accept any of this. She wasn’t trying to deal with diapers or submit herself to so many attacks of embarrassment and humiliation. She was just trying to bide her time. She wasn’t behaving, she was just enduring. What mattered most was being true to herself, but hearing the way others saw it from the outside looking in didn’t feel great either… “Besides, it sounds like you found a story you liked, right? If you eat your lunch we can look for something about frogs?” “I don’t like frogs,” Dawn admitted in a burst of honesty. “We just had to listen to a stupid story about them… Some other person liked them. That’s the only reason why…” “Yeah? Why didn’t you like the story? Because you don’t like frogs?” “No,” Dawn stressed, “I-I didn’t not like it because of frogs! It’s because it was just…just some boring story that you read to kids! It wasn’t advanced; there wasn’t any substance! That’s all those books! Just…just mindless, pointless words on paper…” “Uh-huh?” Katherine nodded and listened, surprisingly, and Dawn was half expecting the admonishment that never came. “We’ll find something you like, I’m sure. And I’m sure it’s not all bad? Don’t worry, I can be a picky reader, too!” Katherine chuckled, and Dawn hung in her arms with just as little hope as she had a few seconds before. Holding out hope for anything in that tiny prison was nothing but a fool’s errand. Trying to convince any Amazon of that was impossible. Dawn liked reading, but maybe Katherine wasn’t seeing it that way. It was just Dawn who likes “reading.” Reading as much as “coloring” is when you let a toddler scribble inside, around and outside the lines. “Where are we going now?” Dawn finally pressed on Katherine’s shoulder just to sit herself up in her arm to look around. With jealousy and envy, she spotted tables off to the sides, spotted with folks in chairs, quietly absorbing enjoyment, entertainment and information from pages and pages of the deemed forbidden fruit for Littles. Some had computers out. Laptops and phones. Notebooks and pencils and pens… Some were students, maybe? Just like…Dawn. “Remember that big tree you saw from the car?” Katherine rubbed her shoulder, “I wanted to take you there. They have tables we can eat at.” “You let people eat here, too?” Dawn asked with a sideways look. If she wasn’t attacking it from that angle, she’d be far too pissed about Amazons not only being the only ones allowed access to real books, but to even risk food and drinks near them as well. Meanwhile, Littles were discounted for simply being too small. “Yes, but not while they’re reading. That’s a very important rule,” Katherine explained carefully, despite there not being much to say. And while they walked, or rather, Katherine walked them both, Dawn was unfortunate enough to witness some folks who didn’t rely on the Library’s endless services so heavily. With an uneasy feeling in her stomach, she watched one Amazon in particular, quiet and focused on her reading, pausing just to scribble something here or there in her adjacent notebook. And yet, all the while using her foot like a pendulum, quietly and slowly pushing a stroller back and forth. Inside it was of course a man, not a boy, gagged by a pacifier with shut eyes, hiding under some stupid, soft-looking blanket covered in trucks and cars. Christ, it actually looked like he was sleeping. Slumbering. Like it was somehow normal. Like he could be at ease enough to actually fall asleep in a public place. Like it didn’t matter that his entire life was over likely before it’d even reached the halfway point. Like…! “--Look, Dawn, see?” In spite of seeing the horror stained in her vision, blinking once was enough to wash the echoed horror out of her eyes. There it was, the tree. Sitting on a large oasis of bright green grass on a short, sloping hill, the centerpiece was a massive tree made up of girthy and thick, winding roots that skidded across the surface before disappearing into the ground. The only separation between what was natural and manmade was a circle of large, uniform stones establishing the perimeter. A dense shade was offered by the overarching head of leaves supported by countless branches, but allowing slivers of sunlight to slip on through. Folks were chatting and eating, just like Katherine said. There weren’t any Littles in this spot though, thank goodness. Just to watch someone so…complacently suffering was enough to make the girl’s blood boil and her mind to panic. And yet while the living nightmares were dotted all around her, at least she had a pretty tree to look at. “I still can’t believe we have this here…!” Katherine marveled at the sight. It was more than double her height, which meant Dawn was but a mere fraction to it. “What do you think? Isn’t it pretty?” “Mm…” Dawn nodded, keeping her feelings reserved. She wanted to believe that even a place like this couldn’t pervert nature itself, but operating on assumptions so far had only shocked the girl even more when supposed absolute truths were nothing more than fallacies. “Did you wanna pick where we sit?” Katherine offered, and Dawn, far from wanting the opportunity, pointed off to a corner anyway with at least some kind of sculpture as a usable privacy shade. As a bonus, it left at least a full table’s width from any others that were sitting there. “Is…is it okay for you to be eating out here?” Normal people were nearby, either eating or reading, but normal people meant a public place. Wasn’t it weird for a worker to be eating in the same space? Separation of spheres, or something? “It’s okay, we’re allowed,” Katherine assured. And without asking, Katherine took her seat, meaning Dawn took hers as well. Right on her lap. “Are there…any…higher chairs?” Dawn carefully asked, but it didn’t change how heavily she was toeing the line. Two letters less and Katherine probably would’ve been overjoyed to hear such a question. “Sorry, sweetheart, we don’t have chairs here like the one you have at home,” an apologetic explanation came, and Dawn’s modicum of hope had gone. “Is it okay if you sit in my lap?” “...Uh-huh.” There was hardly anything else to say. If she refused there wouldn’t be an alternative. Katherine would be put into a difficult situation. As appealing as that was, it meant delaying Dawn’s food, and no food meant no books; the one reason for experiencing all this suckiness. So she sat in her lap, watching all the luggage unload on the table. First was the diaper bag, then it was slid to the side. Next though were a couple plastic containers and a bottle of water. An Amazon bottle of water. No nipple to go with it. “And I made sure to keep one cold for you too,” the Amazon added as Dawn watched a baby bottle descend from the heavens, loaded with more of the same juice she’d been getting all day, only freshly chilled now. “...Thank you,” and Dawn accepted the drink just to keep her hands full with an excuse to do nothing else. And dare she ask, “What did you bring?” “I made a…salad! And a sandwich, too. You can share with me.” One lid after another came off, and true to Katherine’s words, Dawn could see what looked like greens in one container and bread in the other. The sandwich came out first though, which was an uncanny similarity Dawn could remember, albeit much bigger than the one she was served. “This is the one I made you yesterday. You liked it, right?” Like was a very strong word. Her body simply needed food. Sustenance. Energy because she didn’t have a deathwish and believed in at least living just to reach the other side. “Yeah…it’s fine.” That was more than enough for Katherine to bring the food to her mouth, and Dawn finally bit off a corner. True to her word, it had the same taste, albeit slightly more bitter than she remembered. “It’s not too much, is it?” Katherine was already asking the same time a surprise napkin wiped away the imaginary crumbs off Dawn’s face. “I put a little seasoning on mine…” she said in an almost apologetic voice. “It’s…” Dawn choked down a small cough, “fine,” and then took a swig of her cold juice to wash it down. “Once it’s time to go food shopping, I’ll make sure we get some stuff you’ll wanna eat, okay?” Then Katherine took a bite herself. “I’ll need to remember to ask James about getting you some of those Little Lunches…” “I don’t need anything special, this is fine,” Dawn tried to insist. The moment she found something livable was the same time she sought for the status quo. Nothing more needed to change or slip further than it already had. “You don’t need to be so reserved, honey? We just want you to have some things that you’d like too?” “And I like this sandwich, so it’s fine. I don’t need anything else.” Dawn spoke firmly, and Katherine didn’t push. Not any more than offering her an occasional bite from the shrinking sandwich. “Can I have some of the salad, too?” Dawn asked of her own accord, purely for the sake of variety. She looked up at the fork moving to and from the food and Katherine’s mouth, all above her as the motions ensued. “You can try it?” Katherine accepted, somewhat. It was a loaded answer with lingering effects and conditions. “I think there’s a dressing on this you’re gonna think is yucky, honey…” And Dawn, just as ignorant and stubborn as ever, insisted, “I’ll be fine.” Just like breakfast that morning, Katherine fed her a bite with a fork held out to her mouth. With a small bushel of greens, sliver of onion and chunk of tomato, all dressed in some kind of unifying substance, Dawn took the mouthful and swallowed. Her face felt like it was imploding. Her lips were folding in and the prickly, sour, bitter taste was traveling up and down her system like a frantic chicken with its head cut off. The only thing keeping her in Katherine’s lap was the very Amazon’s arm around her stomach. “Drink your juice, sweetie?” Katherine helpfully reminded, and not a second later and the girl was self-soothing her tongue with cold, refreshing fruit-like juice. “Wh-why is all your stuff so bitter? And so…so spicy?” Dawn tiredly complained, taking another bite of sandwich as she started to feel bitter herself. “You people even make your food to discriminate against Littles?” “Dawn, it’s just what Amazons like? We like sour and bitter stuff. Just how Littles like sweet things?” It was a pointless discussion because that’s the only place it could have gone, and Katherine skipped right to the end. Instead Dawn was watching the tree, angling her head up high just to see the entirety of it. “Do you like it?” Katherine smiled down at her. “It’s…whatever,” Dawn turned her head away sheepishly. “You must, though?” After all, Dawn spent last night briefly on the back deck while Katherine watered her garden. “I like it a lot!” The Amazon answered honestly and without reservation. “You know, if I could, I’d want one just like it at our house. I’d want it right in the center of the backyard, too.” “And do what with it, just look at it?” Dawn, a person hardly of greens, but not a denier of their use, openly debated. “Wouldn’t it like…suck up all the nutrients, or something?” That was common sense, right? “That’s a very good point,” Katherine complimented the thought with a rub on her head. “But there’s plenty of food for all the plants and a tree. That’s a little silly though, huh? Even plants need to eat, too.” “Yeah, like photosynthesis. I know.” “Uh-huh, very good,” Katherine praised her again, despite Dawn not looking for any of it. “But they need more than just the sun, you know? Flowers, veggies, trees, and everything else that lives in the ground also has roots. You know how trees have branches?” she pointed out all the forking limbs of thinner and thinner wood, “Imagine all that, but also in the ground! They’re like a bunch of straws that like to suck up the water in the ground and other yummy stuff that they need to grow. Does that make sense?” Yeah. I know already. “Yeah. It does.” “I like growing all sorts of stuff.” “For free food?” Dawn could at least see the use in that. “Mmm…maybe!” Katherine laughed, “I never thought of it like that! It doesn’t have to be something we can eat, though. I like big plants, small plants, colorful ones and silly ones. As long as I get to start with the seed.” “Why just the seed?” If memory served, Dawn could always remember her mom getting flowers, though that just meant bringing back pre-grown ones from the store just to plop in the dirt. Did they even do much growing after that? It definitely didn’t make much sense to her, but everyone had their hobbies… Katherine included. “...Because that way I get to grow it all on my own,” Katherine spoke, and Dawn could hear the smile. “It’s a very good feeling when you can raise something, because you get to see them from start to finish. Going from just a seed, and then a little bit of green…getting bigger and bigger…until tiny buds start to form, and blossom into lots of pretty flowers.” “So you just like the process?” “Kind of!” Katherine smiled, then put them both through the motions of taking another bite. “All the plants in the garden need a little bit of care and love for them to grow big and strong. They can’t get all the water they need on their own, so that’s my job. Sometimes there can be bugs or weeds that can make them feel sick, so then it’s up to me to fix them and make them feel all better.” Dawn took another swig from her bottle. “Sounds like a lot of work.” The Amazon holding her chuckled as her first response. “It is a bit of work, but if anything is worth doing, then it won’t be easy.” Well, not exactly. Dawn could think of a million different things worth doing that were in fact easy. Case and point, brushing your teeth every night and day. So simple, yet it saves your teeth from a lifetime of dental issues… “...Dawn?” Odd. The pause there was before speaking put the Little a bit on edge. “...Yeah?” “Can we talk about what happened with Dayna, now?” Ugh. And just like that, the next forced bite of Katherine’s sandwich felt just a bit more bitter. Dawn was brief and fast, just so she could fill her mouth with juice. “It’s her fault, not mine. I did what I was supposed to.” “Honey, I’m not mad… I just want to understand what happened?” Finally, for once, Dawn could see the most obvious trap if there ever was one. Maybe she wasn’t mad, and maybe she was speaking calmly and soothingly, but that didn’t change the certainty there’d be consequences anyway. Punishment was sure to follow for telling the truth. Undoubtedly. Call her a coward, but the thought of another spanking made the girl visibly uncomfortable. It was a trap, definitely, but Dawn was supposed to talk. She was supposed to tell her story. Share her frustrations, and just thinking of them was getting her riled up again. “She…she just kept…getting in the way!” “Mhm? How was she doing that?” It was a neutral question, completely without any indication whether she felt differently or not. As far as Dawn could tell, she really did have the entire floor. “Just…the way she talked to me. The stuff she made me do…! Did you not tell me to go looking for a book to read, or something?!” “I did,” Katherine nodded, agreeing simply. “Well Dayna didn’t get that I guess. You…you gave her all that stuff in that bag, and she wouldn’t stop bothering me! As soon as I’m reading, she makes me take some juice that I didn’t even ask for! And after she gives it to me, she says, ‘You can have food or drinks with a book’!’” Dawn scoffed with a pissy look. “She GAVE me a drink just to force me to stop reading!” “Do you think she may have thought you were just thirsty?” “I–I don’t know? But it doesn’t even matter! Because she kept doing it! And then I started to say ‘no,’ but she wouldn’t listen to me! She wouldn’t take that as an answer! She…she just kept holding you over my head! Like she was gonna tell you what a brat I was being, or something! A-and wait, that’s not even everything she did!” She was on a streak and her memory was flipping stones in a flurry of residual rage. “Okay…take your time. I’m listening,” Katherine said as Dawn was too driven to even care about the hand on her back. “There was some ki–... There was another person who showed up when I was reading; some…some Little,” it felt wrong to say. Horrible, but in what other way could she communicate it without giving in to what these people wanted? What, call her a fucking kid? “There…a Little was bothering me. She kept talking to me and trying to get me to do stuff…!” “Were you nice to her?” “Yes! I was nice! I even went to the corner just so no one would bother me! But she said Dayna told her to come over! She made her walk over to me just to bother me!” “Dawn, maybe Dayna just wanted to help you make a playmate?” The Amazon softly reasoned. “No! Because I told Dayna that I didn’t want to be bothered! I just wanted to be left alone! But she kept doing stuff! She…she even touched me!” “Touch…?” Katherine’s voice was slow and hesitant. “She…touched you?” “Yes! When she wasn’t supposed to! You said you were gonna check on me. But she did it anyway! She kept grabbing my–the stupid diaper! She pulled down my pants and just did whatever she wanted! Like it didn’t even matter what I said or did!” “Sweetie, when you say ‘touch’, you mean when she checked your diaper, right?” “Yes!” Christ, Katherine, what else could it mean?! A was low and quiet, but a sigh left the Amazon’s mouth. “O…okay. She checked your diaper and you weren’t comfortable with that, right?” “No, I wasn’t! And aren’t you too?” It sucked appealing to her on whims and means that Dawn denied and was against, but she needed support. She needed to be justified. “Didn’t you say that only people we trust can do that stuff? I don’t trust her! Not now and not ever!” “Dawn…Dayna is someone I’ve worked with for a long time now? She’s safe to trust.” “Well she isn’t!” Dawn huffed and crossed her arms. “She was being…ugh, so manipulative! She was making me do stuff just so she could make me do other things! She gave me juice so I couldn’t read, then used that as an excuse just to get me sitting in some stupid story time circle! Then she promised I could go back after the story, but then just tried to give me another bottle! She didn’t listen! Nobody listens!” “I’m listening right now, aren’t I?” Katherine leaned over just to get her head a bit closer. “Maybe…but is that gonna change anything? It doesn’t make me any more right, does it? Are you gonna go ask Dayna what happened next? Because whatever she says has more credibility than me, right?” Frustration was a good motivator for the stomach, because Dawn was already reaching for another bite. “Honey, you need to know that what you have to say always matters, okay? It matters to me and James. Just like what you’re saying right now matters.” “And that’s the problem! You…you and James can say whatever you want, fine,” it was a whole other issue entirely, “but what happens when I’m around someone like Dayna? What happens when she doesn’t care about what I say?” “I’m positive she cared, Dawn. Dayna was just doing what anyone would? It’s our job to take care of you guys when you’re there?” “Even if I don’t consent to it? Even when I tell her not to?!” “It’s because she’s not just going to ignore you, Dawn? What if something happened? What if you got hurt, or you needed a grownup to take care of something?” “Then I would take care of it myself!” Dawn raised her voice, and a hand on her shoulder brought the levels right down. “So what, she gets in trouble if I don’t let her baby me? She was doing stuff you were gonna do! I could have asked you for a drink when you came by! I would have said I needed to change when it was your break! She had no business and didn’t care that I told her not to!” “And you’d really want to be in a wet diaper until I came and checked in on you?” “N-no! Don’t twist it like that!” Dawn cried, “It’s not the same and you know it! I already said I don’t trust her, and no one is allowed to touch me or…or change me!” “But how about when I change you?” “I don’t want that either! But I can’t stop you, and there’s no one that can stop you from doing that to me…! So…at least with someone else, there’s supposed to be you that can stop it from happening…” It always sucked. It fucking sucked so much to keep on confronting the same, undying sense of helplessness. It wouldn’t die because as long as she was stuck here, that feeling would be validated. The only sense of empowerment she could have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting was by living vicariously through the Amazons that’d kidnapped her. It was supposed to be them that put a stop to the injustices committed against her, so what was the point if they listened to outside opinions first and foremost before their very own captive? The one that they “swore” to protect? And maybe it was late, and it certainly wasn’t needed, but both Amazon arms came around Dawn, pulling her against Katherine’s torso. “I know it feels tough…I know it’s scary being in a new place with new people, but I promise you, Dawn, I wouldn’t ever put you in a place that I didn’t feel comfortable with. I know we made a promise, and it makes me really happy how you were trying so hard to keep it, you know?” Happy, great. It didn’t change the fact what things had become, though. “But as much as that makes me happy, I don’t want you to make trouble for others because of it, okay?” It felt like a harsh one-eighty, which is why Dawn spun her head up with an incredulous look. “But–!” Dawn tried to speak, but Katherine calmly continued. It wasn’t even a rude interruption, it was simply the woman speaking with such inertia that the Little felt compelled to go quiet. “I think Dayna just really wanted you to fit in, sweetie. She wanted you to make a friend, feel included, and have a good time? Would you ever want someone you’re looking after to feel sad or left out?” “No, I wouldn’t, but this is different than that!” Dawn wanted to be left alone! And great, what an opportune moment where she could have pointed that out, but just missed. “And Dawn, be honest with me: were you using bad words?” “N-no! I–” “Dawn?” Katherine interrupted, much more sternly. “Don’t make me turn you around to look up at me. Answer honestly. Were you using bad words?” She…she wasn’t! She didn’t say anything bad! No fuck, no shit, no ass, no nothing of the sort that she’d been reprimanded for so many times already! What was this, coercing a false confession? There was no crime, yet Katherine talked like it was certain. Like…like Dayna could only speak in absolute truths. “I…I said stupid! That’s all I said! I didn’t swear! Not since…not since last night!” “Dawn…no bad words means no bad words,” Katherine emphasized with disappointment. “It doesn’t count!” Dawn legitimately whined. “I did what you told me! Why can’t I even say that? What, can I not say ‘dumb’ either? Is that too much of a bad word?” “If you know that it’s a mean thing to say, you shouldn’t be saying it at all,” Katherine softly scolded. “I’m very proud that you did stop saying so many naughty things, but I know you can do better, sweetie? I know that you have so many nice things to say?” The disconnect couldn’t have felt any greater, because Dawn most certainly did not have anything nice to say. Whatsoever. Henceforth she wouldn’t be saying anything at all, apparently. Her language had been thoroughly policed once already and now it was time for crackdown number two. How unfair. How so unbelievably un-fucking fair. “I’m not mad, and you’re not in trouble, but we’re not putting up with bad behavior anymore, Dawn. Do I make myself clear?” “It’s… Fine! Yes! You do! But why do I have to get in trouble for doing what I’m told?” “Because, Dawn, if James and I aren’t there, then you need to listen to the grownup in charge. Even if we make a promise, that doesn’t give you an excuse to misbehave or backtalk.” It was all just framing. She was being framed for crimes she didn’t commit. It was all for the sake of self-defense and preservation. And it sucked, just to think for even a fraction of a second that Katherine was on Dawn’s side. And yet, even with them alone in just the company of themselves, the woman still wouldn’t crack under the many fallacies that Dawn just couldn’t shine a light on. “So…so even if I think it’s a bad idea. If it’s something that’ll hurt me, you still want me to listen? You still want me to just give in?” And a pair of lips pressed against the top of her head, right before hearing, “James and I will never put you in a situation like that. Just listen and behave, okay?” “I’m done eating…” Dawn moped, crossing her arms one last time. “Okay,” and Katherine graciously moved on, “Drink your juice while I finish my food, okay? Then we’ll go look at some books.” And again, Dawn felt that the chance had somehow been squandered by their little heated debate, yet apparently not. Katherine didn’t seem to let grudges linger, not nearly as long as they admittedly did with Dawn. By the time the Amazon could be as cool as a cucumber, Dawn would still be trying to stomach the frustration and negative feelings, much less truly start to digest them. Her frame of mind was still stuck in a bitter place that would never be so gracious to herself like Katherine was being. She knew she was in the right, and Dayna was wrong. Katherine was misguided, but she was wrong about so many other things too. And yet, Dawn couldn’t seem to reason with any of that. Dawn just didn’t understand. Dawn did the wrong things even when she did as she was told. How many times would the goal post move? How many times would it shift? It was constant bouts of self-sacrifice, and the only compromises were just Dawn letting herself slip more and more. Regardless, Katherine got to focus on eating, and Dawn was able to keep to herself; the very thing she wanted since the start of today. “So we’re really going?” “Mhm!” “Do I get to touch them?” “You need to promise to be gentle.” “I am gentle! I–! I…I promise, I’ll be gentle.” Did she somehow think Dawn’s books back home could withstand nuclear warheads and she didn’t understand the concept of paper being torn easily? “Okay, I believe you,” Katherine laughed, and Dawn was simply too on edge, dearly hoping that this was going to be what she was actually promised. Finally, something just as advertised without any cruel or mean tricks. “We’ll look for a little bit, but then I need to change you before my break is over, okay?” “Fine, fine. Can we go now?” The experience of wearing a wet diaper hadn’t left her, but even the most tortured could endure something so simple if it meant being offered food on the brink of starvation. “Is there somewhere you wanted to look at first?” “Fantasy,” Dawn blurted out. Something. Anything, just so they didn’t waste their precious time deliberating on where to go. “Fantasy? Mmm, okay!” All it took was a hum and thoughtful look around, and Katherine with a blueprint of the building seemingly in her back pocket, departed and moved with purpose. Finally, Dawn with a personal escort had been sprung from jail and was about to have the time of her life. What a sweet reprieve it would be from all the baby books and propaganda that place was filled with. There wouldn’t be anything out here about the diapered divas battling the potty monster or Hansel and Gretel finding a daycare in the middle of the forest. The genuine excitement was enough to shield her eyes from all the Amazons getting to roam about the library so freely, including all the fake parents carrying their Littles off, likely to a particular corner ruled by an evil witch of an Amazon. “Okie-dokie… See everything on these two shelves?” Katherine pointed from floor and nearly to ceiling of two long and tall faces of pure literature. Dawn nearly squealed. The spines were titles, the covers looked textured. Hardcovers, paperbacks, authors and more. The images she could see weren’t pastels, some were wonderfully plain, and others seemed modest. “That one!” Dawn hurriedly pointed, and Katherine laughed, looking delighted as could be to pull one from the shelf. Katherine leaned over and slipped the book from its socket, leaving the hivemind of words and wisdom to be united with Dawn. It was big, certainly. Amazon big. A bit much, but Dawn could easily stomach that if it was just like the real thing in every other sense. The synopsis! The synopsis! Dawn desperately fought the urge to touch it right then herself. A Tale of Ten Towers, by Sofia Suffix She was practically bouncing like a junkie just about to get their best fix yet. Sofia, please don’t disappoint…! What unfortunately put a damper on things though was when Katherine robbed her of the chance to open the cover herself. Fine, whatever, Dawn would get the chance later, but she couldn’t necessarily complain about getting straight to the reading part. But Katherine stopped right after opening up the cover. Then she muttered, “Let me just take a look at something, honey…” And Dawn watched what she was looking at, but it was practically otherworldly to her. Stamped on the inside had to have been somewhere around a twenty-ish letter code of some kind. Sixteen? It was a seemingly scrambled string of letters and numbers with some symbols, even. It made absolutely no sense to Dawn, hence her frown, but also including Katherines? Before Dawn could even touch the page though, Katherine gently closed the cover and slid it back into place. She was speechless for a moment, ready to wonder why the hell she had gone and done that, but Katherine said so herself. “Why don’t we take a look at a different one?” Katherine smiled, but it didn’t add to any explanation for her decision. “Wh-what? Why? What’s wrong with that one? We didn’t even read the back?” “I didn’t like some of the things that were in that book,” Katherine explained simply, and Dawn gave her a weird look. “W-well, like what?” Hate speech? Radical ideologies that’d somehow transmit indoctrinated teachings to the reader? The only acceptable reason for putting it back was that, and nothing else. No other reasoning would excuse it. “Mmm…naughty grownup stuff,” Katherine was fast and quick with her words, like she was trying to shift focus fast and quick. Naughty…grownup…? “You mean like se–” “Ahp!” Katherine gasped before Dawn could finish. “Dawn? No naughty words, understood?” Did the book have sex, was that it? How did Katherine even know? She was a self-described avid reader, but surely that didn’t mean she had read everything that there is to read in this place? You’d need three lifetimes and then some, just maybe. “M-my bad. But wait, I wanted to look at that book.” “We’ll find a better one, okay?” Katherine was already stepping out of its reach, and Dawn watched her forbidden knowledge miraculously disappear. Normally the loss of opportunity or being told she couldn’t do something she knew that she could handle would put her right back into a pissy mood, but being allowed to come into close contact with legitimate literature just felt too good. “That one,” Dawn pointed out a new title, “Silver Stars,” feeling much more eager to take the book herself this time. And like a well-oiled machine, or one of the book buddies that Katherine always worked on, she retrieved the book, sitting it in her hands. And just to get the feeling, Dawn, despite Katherine needing no help whatsoever, joyfully partook in peeling back the front cover. She nearly cried. The flimsy, cardboard cover was just like at home, if not a bit tougher, but that was a bonus, not any kind of mocking detriment like it would’ve been at the Little’s corner. Instead, Dawn got the feel of the thin, textured paper with her fingernail as they flipped the first page up to a similar…long and complicated code. “C-can we take this one over to a table so I can–?” Dawn tried to set up their next destination with a treasure in hand, but twice her expectations had been resurrected and removed because Katherine with a small, disapproving look started to put the book back. “Wait! What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” Dawn begged for an explanation, but watched as her book slipped back into the shelf. “I didn’t like some of the things I saw there either,” Katherine frowned. On some level she must have known what this was doing to Dawn, but it didn’t change the impression that the Little figured the Amazon was just being too overprotective. “Katherine, whatever it is, I can read it! I’ve read plenty of books before!” “I’m sure you have, honey, but some of these stories just don’t seem very appropriate…” Time was ticking and not a single book had yet to be experienced or even read just a tiny bit…! “How can you even tell? Y-you’re not even reading them!” “Did you see all those letters and numbers on both books?” “Yeah?” “We call those ‘Sequence Series,’” Katherine explained slowly and carefully, like Dawn had regressed into being a preschooler again. “Those codes can tell us what a story is about and what kind of themes or genres might be in them.” “Wh-what?” Didn’t having a fantasy section count as enough? They tagged the contents of their books individually, more specifically than that? “Let me see. Show me.” “Okay,” Katherine had no hesitation and grabbed a new book from the shelf. She turned the page, and in the same fashion as the others this one was another string of gibberish. “See that code?” her finger landed on the one thing that was actually on the page. “We use sixteen letters and numbers to keep track of what this story is like!” “H-how?” Dawn peered down at the page, finding it no less insightful than the other two were. She wasn’t even seeing a pattern. All three books that were in the fantasy section should have at least one unifying trait, right? “See these first four letters here?” Katherine traced her finger. “Y…yeah?” Even the first four seemed to have no meaning, yet Katherine spoke like it was the easiest thing to understand. “That tells us the year and place when this book was written.” A location for the author? A time of completion? A year…and an address? All in just four spaces? Using only four characters? There weren’t even any numbers? How was a number stored in this? “So these two letters mean it was written about…twenty years ago. That’s a long time, huh?” Katherine chuckled, and Dawn tried to focus on the teaching moment. “And then these two right after that mean it was written in a place called Catalon. Does that make sense?” “I…guess…” Dawn murmured in a shy voice. How did a ‘Z’ and ‘Q’ imply a time period two decades ago, and letters and symbols like ‘#’ and lowercase ‘I’ indicate a place called Catalon? They weren’t even an abbreviation? “Now the next twelve spots tell us all about the story. These three let us know there’s a hero…these two say it has a little bit of mystery, and…mm. This one says it’s a little scary, so how about we find a different one?” Horror was obviously manageable for the girl, but she was still feeling overwhelmed by the system, yet driven to try and understand it. “W-wait, so…” Dawn tried to trace her finger. “So…so these three characters mean it has mystery themes?” “Yup! Very good!” Katherine was quick to praise, but the shine missed Dawn completely who was still trying to cement the understanding. She tried not to let her confusion get the best of her. Katherine was so casual and confident with her words, it only made Dawn more hesitant as she looked at it over and over. It was all a continuous line of letters, numbers and symbols. There were no spaces or breaks, and yet Katherine was somehow able to piece it apart like it was nothing? “Okay…” Dawn said quietly, and Katherine was putting away the book and pulling out another. And almost immediately when they flipped to the sequence series, Dawn spotted the same chain further along the 12 characters. “Wait, so that says there’s mystery in this one?” Dawn pointed it out, suddenly too preoccupied to even enjoy the touch and feel of the textured paper. Just like she remembered. It wasn’t smooth or rigid like all the ones back at the baby corner. What a joy, though. Not only did she get to interact with genuine books, but she was learning, too! But then Katherine made a noise, like she was proud of Dawn for trying, but she was un-arguably incorrect. “Oh, good eye, Dawn! But actually, right here are two different ones. It doesn’t say mystery, but actually this one says it has dragons, and this one says it has two main characters.” “...Oh…” the disappointment and embarrassment was hard to hide. She felt so certain, and yet she couldn’t have been more wrong. “Then…what about the first three after the location? So these…?” And just like Katherine explained, Dawn traced out the following three spaces after the first four. And instead of making the answer direct, the Amazon started with, “You’re really close!” It was like textbook childcare. Praise them right before delivering the bad news. “This time though it’s only just two characters, not three.” “But…how do you know?” Dawn frowned, looking down at the page. “How do you know where the spaces are, or…which ones stop and start?” Was she missing something obvious? Sure, Katherine had more experience with this, but…it just looked like nothing? “Well…sometimes you can just recognize them.” Recognize? Like Dawn just tried and horribly failed at doing? “Or, what we can do is take the first letter and the fourth, and that tells us the kind of ordering sequence the letters use…” Katherine’s voice was slow and careful, pointing each and every piece of the puzzle out, but the confused look on Dawn’s face was reflecting in the librarian’s eyes. Suddenly Katherine was looking sympathetic, almost as if she embarked on a subject far too complex for poor little Dawn. “But that’s a lot of tough stuff to remember, huh?” she quickly pepped up her voice. “You wanna keep looking for a story?” It was an unexpected detour that left Dawn feeling oddly clueless. It was the first time something in this dimension had intellectually stumped her, other than that stupid bread tie thing from that one morning… Obviously if she tried hard enough, she could figure it out, though. This sequence series stuff, that is. The bread tie too, of course… “I guess, yeah,” Dawn nodded, and was given the privilege of trying to seek out more books. And as They searched, more so Katherine skimming, peeking at the multi-digit code on each one, disapproving of each one someway and somehow, the Little in her arms was starting to fidget. As more time went on without a result, the girl was feeling more and more anxious “Don’t you guys sort by those codes, or something? Is it really just sorted by random?” “Some libraries do that,” Katherine answered while she filtered through book after book, “but that’s what all our special helpers are for!” she looked up to the ceiling, and by coincidence one of the drones was quietly sliding by on its rails. “It’s a little tricky for us to remember, but these guys can remember where each and every book is, and they remember that long line of letters, too! Soon though we will be organizing our books like that,” she chuckled, “but it’s a lot of books to move around!” After enough time Dawn was losing hope that there’d be anything Katherine might approve of, and that was only adding to her worries about Amazon books altogether. Was it just a bad section? It had to be! It’s not like Amazon teens and preteens went straight into text about murder, politics, and sex? “Mmm…oh! This one looks good!” “What? What is it?” Dawn, not even paying attention anymore finally glanced down at the book she was holding. “This is an older one…” Katherine passively mentioned, finally skimming through the actual text. It was all ink-letter print; some offshoot of Times New Roman. Times New Amazon? Just maybe. Either way it was just like Dawn expected, and she wanted to consume it so badly. “Helmsman of the East…” she commented curiously, looking the front and back over. “Can I read it now?” Dawn asked. The title alone was enough to send prickles up her spine. It sounded like an actual title. No signs about learning to like diapers, Littles learning to love their new “families,” or anything as disgusting of the sort. Just an unbiased, normal story, and Katherine could actually be the very reason she could escape from that. “In a minute, honey,” Katherine said, and Dawn watched the book disappear in the diaper bag. “You’re getting a little squirmy; time for a change!” she announced in a sing-song voice, and the accused tried not to blush, hoping the aisle was empty. The slightest perk to Katherine working here was having a full understanding everywhere everything was, and that included bathrooms. Once they entered the long bathroom, every step and click from Katherine’s heels was like a punch to her gut, skipping each and every bathroom stall on their way to a station not equipped to deal with the urgency of bodily needs, but only the aftermath of it. “W-wait!” Dawn whispered nervously, and Katherine cocked her head. “What’s wrong?” “It’s…it’s not…! It’s not private…!” It didn’t sound like anyone was in there with them, but what was to stop someone from walking in? A plastic foldable table bolted into the wall hung on the far end wall, right next to the mirror lining a long row of sinks. The only thing that would be keeping her from the public eye was Katherine herself. All it took was the right angle though from an all-encompassing mirror… “No one’s here now, sweetie, it’ll be fine.” “B-but what if somebody walks in?!” The argument didn’t stop Katherine from unfolding the table. “Then that means they need to use the potty too?” Use it too? Katherine could be so innocent and so nonchalant, yet somehow be just as insulting at the same time. Dawn used the bathroom just like every other Amazon, only in a completely different way. Christ, she didn’t even get to use it, she was the one being used. “Please, then just let me change myself! I’ll be quick!” “Dawn…” There wasn’t even a debate this time, just a soft warning from Katherine that just may have reminded the Little how that went last time. The devastation from not even being able to take off her own diaper. “W-wait, I don’t, I don’t need the–!” And the strap went on. “Shh,” Katherine soothed, brushing her shoulder. “It’s just so I can be quick, okay?” “So you mean I’d just get in the way?” Admittedly, there was a small amount of hurt, but mostly pissy attitude, and not including the diaper. “No, you do not get in the way,” Katherine was quick to correct, “But I can be super fast all on my own! And…off we go!” Her shoes quickly popped off after the laces were undone, and Dawn tried pressing her knees together to stop it, but the diaper bulk between them prevented her from stopping Katherine’s quest to take off her pants. “Please…just hurry…!” Dawn begged with her eyes shut, flinching as each tape ripped and popped. And then, if it couldn’t have been any more emotionally overwhelming, her toes hiding in her socks curled the moment she heard the front door open. She wanted to mindlessly beg Katherine to do something. Anything. Hell, exercise her authority as an employee to kick the stranger out. But she was too embarrassed, too mortified to do even that. The cool air on her crotch was suddenly the paralyzing chill, even if Katherine’s shadow was hiding her from the rest of the room. In a perfect world it would have been someone just going to use a stall. If only the world was perfect, though. So instead, a girl, or a mini woman was tearfully whining instead, “Mommy…!” “I know, baby, shh… Be patient, okay? We’ll change you right after they’re done, okay?” “Sorry!” Katherine, the social butterfly she was of course, had to acknowledge the people behind her, and Dawn stared up at the high, high ceiling trying to do nothing else but disassociate from reality just to hide herself away. It didn’t matter if she wasn’t being seen right now. Someone was waiting on them, waiting to use this exact changing table. Whoever it was, they would without a doubt see Dawn on their way out. They would know that it was Dawn just getting her bare ass wiped and her privates rubbed down with baby powder. They’d know that the crinkling diaper they heard unfold would be around Dawn’s hips. “Hm?” The Amazon behind them made a noise. “Oh? Oh! No, no!” she laughed, and Dawn watched Katherine’s head up above turn so that they could converse, and somehow it didn’t impede the diapering process by much. “Please, take your time!” “I promise we’ll be done soon!” Katherine lightheartedly apologized anyway, and Dawn felt no need to contribute. “Mommy…!” The girl complained again. Just maybe, what if she could be an actual baby? An Amazon-born one? Not one just picked up off the streets? It would have been nice to know this casual chatter wasn’t so morbidly fucked like every other Amazon, but by the same token, it’d make Dawn feel even worse. What a thought: she was laying in the same place that not only babified Littles got changed, but actual babies too. What made her any different from them? “Uh-oh, cranky?” Katherine laughed. “Cranky…” the other mommy agreed with a sigh. “Nothing we’re not used to, though.” And then in a not so quiet whisper she said, “She gets like this whenever she makes a stinky!” “Awh…poor thing!” She said it right as Dawn felt her thumbs smoothen out the freshly applied adhesives. A new prison for her posterior. After her pants went on, the strap was undone and she was lifted up. Dawn’s head was perched over her shoulder, forced to come face to face with the mother and mind-fucked behind them. Some random person in glasses with what looked like a laptop carrier hanging over her shoulder, paired with a much more bright and green diaper bag to boot, all the while held at her hip…? The sulking, grumpy girl’s face then lit up like the sun once she saw the fellow Little. “DAWN!” the voice shrieked, and collectively all three other folks in the room winced, albeit Dawn a bit more. “Kailey!” the Amazon holding her scolded the girl, only in a much more level voice. “What did we say about shouting inside?” “But! But she’s my friend!” Kailey, the same girl in the dress and yellow sandals from before; frog-lover Kailey, pointed squarely at Dawn. The mommy blinked in surprise, so did Dawn, and especially Katherine. “What? What are you talking about?” Kailey’s guardian gave her an off look, then said to Katherine. “I’m sorry…she’s a bit energetic…” “No, that’s fine!” Katherine laughed, though she sounded a bit confused as well. “Do you know her, Dawn?” and with her own charge held against her hip, Dawn was bounced like a physical cue to have her chime in. All Kailey did then was giggle and wave, and the smell was finally starting to catch up to Dawn. Not her own clean backside, but the one that was still in need of it… “...Y-yeah, we met.” “We’re friends!” Kailey, sounding not very helpful, added to it. Dawn never once remembered becoming friends, more so just this girl forcing herself into an acquaintanceship. Then the girl gasped again, pointing at Katherine this time. “Do you talk to the robots?!” Unless Katherine had some extra job Dawn didn’t know about, that was simply incorrect. She fixed them and performed maintenance. Robots didn’t talk, and even this dimension didn’t seem to have that. It was impossible. And yet in a shocking turn of events, “That’s right!” Katherine smiled, and Dawn gave her a weird look. The answer made Kailey squeal while the Amazon holding her only looked more and more apologetic. “Oh, wait–!” The other Amazon scrunched her face like she was filtering out a memory. “That’s right!” she laughed. “My daughter was saying something like that when I picked her up. She did say she met somebody at the daycare!” And finally acknowledging the Little herself, she smiled as she asked, “Your name must be Dawn?” Daycare? Dawn flinched, resolving it as just a generalization. She did not do daycares, so that was simply impossible. It was the Little Learning Corner, and nothing else. “Yes…I’m Dawn.” Katherine was quiet up until that point, looking from one person to another, only finally jumping in now. “You know my– you know Dawn? She made a friend?” No, she did not. Dawn did not make a friend…! “We sat at story time!” Kailey proudly reminisced like it was meeting a soul mate, only that one of them had ever felt the magic. “I think I was the first one to drop someone off,” Katherine explained, “I work here, so I can’t bring her in any later.” “Ahh!” The woman nodded like the final piece of the puzzle had been found. “I think I remember being in second place, actually!” she laughed. “Oh! And sorry, I don’t have any manners!” Maybe that’s why Kailey didn’t have any either… Ew, low blow. Suddenly Dawn was hit with internal guilt for kicking someone that was already down… So far down. “My name’s Sandra?” the Amazon offered a hand, and Katherine reciprocated. “Katherine. So nice to meet you! I can’t say I keep track of regulars, but do you come here often?” “Not too much, no,” Sandra shook her head. “I just needed to do some research on a drug for my work, and Kailey here was being a little fussy; didn’t wanna dump that on the folks at her usual daycare…!” And the pair shared a motherly laugh, one that Dawn wished Katherine couldn’t participate in. “Yeah? Well she seems like a real sweetheart to me?” Katherine complimented with a grin right at the girl, suddenly going from bold and brave to shy and demure. “A little time with me is usually enough to mellow her out. Well, that and clean diapers.” And just so Dawn wasn’t a decoration as much as Kailey, feeling the need to differentiate, she said to Katherine, “She’s a doctor.” The one other thing she remembered from talking to Kailey. “Oh wow!” Katherine marveled, and Sandra grinned with a crease in her brow. “Do you work at one of the nearby hospitals?” Suddenly the woman was laughing. “Ugh, please…!” Sandra groaned, giving her charge a playfully stern look. “I swear, behind my back Kailey tells everyone she sees that I’m some kind of superhero… I’m just a boring old pharmacist!” A pharmacist. Not a doctor. Dawn had vouched for her, and now she looked just as silly as Kailey, spurring along tall tales and make-believe. Meanwhile, Kailey the culprit simply looked distracted trying to simultaneously follow the conversation and dangle her foot around the edge of Sandra’s sweater jacket. “Awh, don’t act like that!” Katherine laughed, “She’s just proud that her Mommy does something so exciting!” “Mm, well…” the woman chuckled, “As cute as she is, she really knows how to inflate an ego…! Sometimes I wonder just who her actual mommy is! I wish I was a doctor! Just like talking to robots, huh?” “Right?” More shared laughs, more discomfort from Dawn. But the novelty was finally gone for poor Kailey, back to whining with a full diaper now everyone could certainly smell. “Oh, gosh!” Katherine gasped, stepping aside and hooking Dawn’s sneakers off the table with her free hand. “Sorry! All yours!” “Sorry you had to smell mine!” Sandra stepped forward and down Kailey went. “If I had known she was gonna do this, I would have picked her up a little bit later…” “Nothing we’re not used to,” Katherine dropped on a dime, spilling more secrets between her and Dawn like they were free samples. Her cheeks were hot and embarrassed, but at least they were stepping away, thank God. “Nice meeting you!” Katherine waved, and Sandra stuck a hand up from the operating table. “Likewise!” And suddenly Dawn was breathing fresh air again back outside. “Dawn…!” A disappointed voice was suddenly closing in on her. “You never said anything about making a friend!” “Wh-what?” Dawn stammered right back. “I…no, I didn’t. She’s the one that Dayna forced to come over to me? We…we barely even talked.” “She seemed nice, though? Her mommy, too?” Her “mommy,” the pharmacist, not actual doctor “mommy.” Dawn frankly wanted nothing to do with them, but forgoing the route of saying something mean or rude, meekly shrugged. Katherine tucked her mouth into her cheek right back, making a small, pensive look. “Well…okay. My break is just about over, sweetie. Ready to go back?” “Go…back? Where?” “Back with Dayna?” Katherine turned her head. “Wh…what? Why? You came and picked me up, though!” Was this a joke? Didn’t she set her free for a reason? “Dawn, that was just for lunch? It’s not that much longer?” “N-no! Please! Don’t make me go back!” It was an immediate plea. She knew the mess she had caused and the fire she started. If Dayna was vengeful, what if she tried to get back at her for being such a disruption? Was she going to be fair? What if she was like Stacy? Treating Littles like kids all up until they were an adult nuisance, and only then did they dish out cruel treatment. “Dawn…I can’t. Please don’t be upset?” “Wh…why though? I won’t bother you! Can’t you just let me sit with you, or something? A-at a desk? I’ll be quiet! Just don’t bring me back! I don’t want to go!” “Why not, honey?” “Because Dayna! What if she tries to do something to me?” “What do you think she’s going to do?” The look on the Amazons face communicated that she hardly understood what Dawn was getting at. Like any clueless parent, she was just trying to figure out what irrational boogie man was inside her head. “I…I don’t know? Just…something! I made her mad! If she does something to me, I can’t fight back, and you won’t be there! I’m…I’m scared!” It was the truth, and the thought of being delivered right back into the den made her clutch Katherine’s shirt. “Please…! Please don’t make me…!” “Dawn…” Katherine exhaled sadly, and Dawn was nearly quivering from understanding what that implied. There was no alternative, no other answer. She was going back and would be left at the mercy of a stranger she’d started and ended on the wrong foot with. And so they walked, embarking on Dawn’s departure to deathrow. She couldn’t watch. How could she witness her own demise? Keeping her head down, she sulked, not even trying to beg as Katherine’s mind had been made. She likely chalked it all up to babyish behavior blown out of proportion, and that ultimately the grownups knew better. Maybe it was all Dawn’s fault though. Maybe if she had fallen in line there would be the worries or fears of what was to undoubtedly come. She dug her own grave and now all she had to do was lay down and be buried. It was inevitable, and the thought of seeing Dayna again made her heart ache to a point that didn’t even feel right. Why was she scared? She shouldn’t be! She didn’t even do anything that bad…! Kids act up all the time, don’t they? Wasn’t that all Dawn was to her too? So she’d be let off lightly, right? Right? “Excuse me?” Dawn went limp when Katherine spoke up. They were back, weren’t they? Time for dropoff. Back to the internment camp. “Hey, Katherine, have a good lunch?” Wait, that wasn’t Dayna. It sounded like…Grace, was her name? “Oh? Bring back a little snack with you?” “Kind of,” Katherine chuckled, but started to whisper. “Do…do you think you could do me a favor? Dawn’s feeling a little groggy right now… It’s either take her back to Dayna and put her down for a nap, or keep her nearby while she does it. She’s being a bit clingy though,” and there was a soft pat on her padded bottom to boot. “Would you mind if she napped here while we run the front desk?” She…she didn’t take me back to Dayna? Was she covering for me? Actually? “Yeah, sure, that’s fine,” Grace agreed nonchalantly, and Dawn was ready to squeal a bit herself about Katherine’s best friend, and now Dawn’s. “I’m fine with it, but are you okay if someone else sees?” “I’m gonna give her a corner under the desk…” Katherine explained, though she didn’t sound so keen about it either. “I’m glad I packed her a pillow and blanket though.” “So now’s her usual nap time?” Hardly. Never was nap time because naps didn’t happen for Dawn. “Working on it,” Katherine said as they sat down in an adjacent chair. “It was either gonna happen now or start on the car ride home… But you’re sure you don’t mind?” “Yeah, no biggie for me. I wouldn’t try to let anyone else see, though. Awh, she asleep already?” “She’s definitely tired,” Katherine hiked her up some, and Dawn kept her eyes shut, opting for as much believability as she could. If Katherine was giving her a way out, Dawn was finally going to cooperate. “From the sound of it she’s been drinking juice all day and I just fed her some lunch… Sorry, could you hand me that jacket from the diaper bag?” “Sure…” Dawn quietly listened to the rummaging. “This one?” “Perfect,” Katherine took it and did something close to the floor. “And down we go…” And down Dawn did go. Right on the somewhat hard floor, but she was cushioned by a thin layer of material underneath. Katherine’s jacket, apparently. But her head did get a pillow. Did Katherine really pack something like that? Was she really planning on a nap? Dawn stretched her legs, remembering her lack of shoes, and suddenly that question felt a little bit more answered. This really was premeditated? “Dawn?” A soft voice whispered into her ear. “Not a peep, okay? Naptime, understood?” She had half a mind to ask if she could read that book, but Dawn wasn’t looking to earn herself a trip back to jail. “Mhm…” Dawn murmured back. Fine. The next best thing to reading really was sleep. No expectations to do anything but keep to herself. For once she would concede to a nap, only because it suited her wants and nothing more. It wasn’t giving in or being obedient, but instead furthering her own interests. Call it a low blow though, one Dawn couldn’t react to without making a scene, but with her eyes closed and unable to anticipate what might come next, she had no way of dodging the silent peck on her cheek. “Sleep tight…!” Katherine softly whispered, and Dawn tried to not make a face, pretending even to Katherine that she was already out like a light. The desk hanging over her was like a pseudo artificial darkness, offering a good amount of shade just to simulate the darkness. It was enough if she turned the other way to face the wall of the desk. But this was it. All she had to do was close her eyes, and just maybe, hopefully, once she opened them the day would be over. The library will have been conquered and triumphed, and she will have survived. A…victory?

Right now. Sitting messed in a daydreamer diaper. Probably another hour, before changing - enjoing it alot

I just enjoy being able to use my diaper for its purpose.

Mistake Four I thought that would be the only time I'd have to use my marker on her, but the effects were remarkable. I had her swooning over me like a middle school girl, and it made my job a lot easier. Then again, maybe some of that was just Stockholm syndrome; she hadn't even spoken to anyone else all week. I also got Judith some antidepressants, the same brand and the same dosage she used to take. There was nothing special about the pills; even when she inspected them, she found only familiarity. I wanted her to trust me, and starting with something as personal as medication was a good first step. Every morning, before we started lessons, I'd give her a little plastic cup with one pill in it. Whether she took it or not was up to her. The beach house wasn't exactly what I had in mind when coming up with Judith's lessons. Why couldn't she have created a house with an office, or a school? But I was working with what I was given, so the kitchen island became our study spot. I'd even ordered some washable markers for writing on the wall. Judith set up two pillows in front of the TV for us to meditate; it was often the first thing we did every morning. At first, she had resisted this part of her routine, as she tended to do with everything I introduced. And just like everything else I introduced, she was also now one of the strongest advocates for it. "All ready to get started?" I asked, looking down at the pillows. "Mmhmm." Judith was already sitting, her elbows on her thighs and her hands outstretched. I sat across from her and let her put her hands in mine. I held them both tightly and loosely, like when you lead a dance. That was what I was doing. "Close your eyes," I said. She did. I didn't. She never opened her eyes anymore, so I could watch her breathe and relax. I could tell when something I said eased her mind, and I could tell when she was resistant. It's all in the eyebrows, and a little in the lips. "We're going to take five very long, wonderful, slow, breaths. I'll count, don't you worry. And when we've done all five, we'll go to your safe place together." Each number brought with it a description. The sounds of the ocean. The smell of the salty air. The feeling of warm sand under her feet. Until finally, the two of us were alone on the beach. "You feel warm... you feel safe... you feel my hands in yours." I gently brushed my thumbs along the backs of her hands, to remind her that I was there. "How is the sun today?" I asked. She couldn't have the sun inside of her beach house, so it was always the first thing her mind conjured. "Warm," she mumbled. Her voice was quiet and far away. "Good girl," I praised. I'd been using that phrase a lot recently, building up an association. "You feel the warmth of the sun, but no fear of sunburn. Everything around you is bright, but the light doesn't sting your eyes. You slowly bend your knees and gently sit down in the sand. Your head feels heavy, but it doesn't hurt. It's a familiar feeling. Stress in your muscles. Stress in your neck. You want to lie down, so you do. You rest your head on a towel, something I put there for you, to keep the sand out of your hair. You relax your thighs, until all of you is lying flat on the beach. How is the sun today?" "W..warm..." I could hear Judith struggle for the word in her relaxation. Even her body, which once sat up straight, was beginning to slouch. "Good girl," I said again. "You listen to the waves. You feel the warm water at your heels, but never any higher. You feel my hand in yours." When I brought Judith out of her meditation, she looked at me with glossy eyes and a dumb smile. Her gaze was drawn to my soft red lipstick. "That was nice," she said sleepily. "It was," I agreed. "I have something for you. This is a gift from me." "From... you?" The hazy look in Judith's eyes faded and a bit of color came to her cheeks. "Yes, I hope that's alright?" "Well... I guess so? If you say it is..." I knew Judith meant that I was her nurse, so I knew what was best, but the reliance on me was palpable. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out an elastic cloth band. A little plush lamb face was sewn onto the front. I gave it to Judith and she looked at it with uncertainty. "Uh... what is it?" "It goes on your wrist," I said brightly. "Here, let me show you." I took her hand in mine and gently slipped the band onto her wrist. It looked like it was made for a toddler, but it wasn't. It was made for a baby. "Thank you?" she said, more like a question. "Shake it," I said, shaking my own arm as an example. As confused as ever, she mirrored me. When she shook the wristband, it made a sloshing sound like ocean waves. It had taken me a while to find the right kind of bean to make that particular noise. "Now you can keep your safe place with you, even when I'm not around," I explained. "Right, but..." Judith looked at the baby rattle on her arm and then up at me. I could see the conflict in her eyes. I'd given her a baby toy, but it was a thoughtful gift. So she faked a smile and said, with a little more confidence this time: "Thank you." Her response could have run the entire spectrum of emotions, from outrage to outpouring of tears, but I'd nailed that sweet spot right in the middle. "Good girl. Manners are important," I encouraged. I could tell that Judith was unhappy. She kept playing with the rattle on her wrist, picking at it with her other hand. I'm sure treating her like a child wasn't helping, it wouldn't do me any good for her to dwell on that right now. "Let's start our lessons." Goal three: she wanted to fix her reading and writing. She took her usual seat at the kitchen island and I got one of my wall markers. We had worked on her alphabet for a few days until she realized the symbols I was using didn't correlate to letters. Even if she tried to copy the symbols, I would read them as gibberish. Now we were working on words. I scribbled some shapes on the wall by the kitchen counter. I pointed at them with the marker. "What does this say?" I asked. "I dunno..." Judith looked away. She hated her lessons, because to her it was a guessing game. She had a one in a million chance of getting it right, and she hadn't gotten one right yet. She never would, because the symbols I was drawing were nonsense. "Remember what we talked about," I said warmly, like the sun on her beach. "We can't know what's working and what isn't if you don't try. Please, Judith? For me?" Judith looked up at me and I watched color fill her cheeks. Then she looked at the wall and back down at the empty sheet of lined paper in front of her. "Laundry," she mumbled. "Um... not quite..." I looked at the wall and faked a smile. "It says 'Storm', but that was close!" "It wasn't close at all," Judith said sharply, crossing her arms and causing her rattle to make noise. "Of course it was," I said. I took a few steps over to her and leaned over the edge of the counter. I had worn a low-cut top just for this purpose. Then I reached forward, put a finger under Judith's chin, and guided her eyes into mine. My painted lips were only a foot from hers. I watched her rate of breathing speed up and her cheeks take on more color. "Laundry is something you worry about during a storm," I explained softly, only a foot or so away. "Your reading seems somewhat relational, and that's important to know. Isn't that right?" "I... guess..." Judith tried to look down again, but her eyes only got to my chest before I tilted her chin up again. "Trust your instincts, Judith," I smiled. Then I traced my fingers up her jaw and cupped her cheek with my hand. And for no reason other than because I could, I kissed her gently on the forehead. It left a tiny bit of lipstick on her skin. "Let's try again," I said, standing up straight before Judith could say anything at all. I went back over to the wall, erased the word, and wrote another. Judith was cooperative throughout the lesson. Each time she said a word, I picked a word that was tangentially related. I made sure to emphasize that discovery. Then I wrote a new word on the wall. "This one?" I asked. "Uh..." Judith's hesitance was interesting. I tapped the wall with my marker. "C'mon, Judith. Instincts, remember?" "Well, I'm not sure," she said quietly, "but... is it your name? Maria?" It was my name. Not by any standards of the English alphabet, but I'd been practicing all night. The shape of my nonsense formed my name, if you looked at it quickly. And then, when you took a closer look, it seemed like an optical illusion. But I didn't tell Judith any of that. I looked at the wall, back at her, and then away from both of them. "No," I said slowly, a hint of awkwardness in my voice. "Um... that one was probably a fluke." I waved my hand dismissively. "A fluke?" Judith blinked. "What does it say?" I looked at Judith for a moment and faked a smile. I had managed to bring a bit of color to my cheeks by thinking about something embarrassing that happened in high school. "It says 'Love'," I said awkwardly. Judith looked absolutely mortified, so I quickly added: "Maybe we're barking up the wrong tree with the relational thing." "Y-yeah... probably..." Judith and I were both silent for another ten seconds, ten of the longest seconds of her life I'd bet. Then I said: "Well, I think that's all for today. I'll let you relax now." "Yeah, um. See you tomorrow." Judith got up from the kitchen island, her face as red as a tomato. She quickly made her way to the sofa and turned on the TV. She hit play on whatever DVD was in the player. I victoriously packed up my things. Everything went exactly the way I wanted it to! But as I was standing in the foyer, with one hand on the door knob, I looked back at the sofa. I could just barely see the back of Judith's head as she slouched down. I should have just left. I don't know what I was thinking. But that story from high school that I thought of to make myself blush... was that how Judith felt? I should have just left, I really should have. But I went over to Judith and sat down next to her instead. "Hey," I said softly. "I want you to know that it's okay. I'm the only person here that you even get to talk to; of course you like seeing me. It's probably one of the highlights of your day, right?" Judith didn't answer, but I kept talking anyway. "If I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same way. So, don't worry about it. We're good. There won't be any weirdness, I promise." She silently watched TV. "Okay?" I asked. I waited a while to see if she'd respond. I hated waiting in that awkward pause. I was supposed to be the one making them for her to stew in, not the other way around! So when I finally got fed up with it, I sighed and stood up. It was probably only thirty seconds or something. "Okay," Judith muttered just before I turned to leave. "No weirdness." I smiled, but Judith didn't catch it. She was still pretending to watch the movie. "See you tomorrow," I said brightly.

I have seen a lot of posts about how incontinence is a spectrum. I agree, plus it makes sense since there are labelled absorbant products for different leaks. As for me, I have been posting in the Incon Desires forum with my questions. I feel I need clarification. I do have OAB, but before slowly transferring to 24/7, I always had a pain in my bladder that would physically hurt. So I started wearing diapers more and more so I could just relieve the pressure, which I could hold for a couple hours despite the pain. I was curious If you could originally hold it with just the rare drips. Would that classify me as incontinent since it hurts to hold?

Chapter Thirteen: John stirred in his sleep. He felt … drunk. Not hungover. Not quite sleep drunk. He didn't know it, but he was milk drunk. His head felt like it was stuffed with wool. Tasty, milk flavored wool. And try as he might, he just could not wake up at what his body thought was the usual time. But time here was cruel. Time here was not divided into a twenty four hour day like Johns body was used to. And whether he knew it or not, he was going to have to learn a routine. After closing his eyes for just a moment, he felt a bit less groggy. A bit less sleep drunk. He cracked open one eye with a herculean effort to see what time it was. He didn't see a clock. In fact, all that he saw was a wall of mesh. He tried to sit up, but his butt felt weird. Unpleasant, actually. He resorted to rolling onto his stomach and pushing himself up onto all fours. Then putting his hand against the mesh and leaning against it to stand up. He stopped before he could make it halfway to standing. He looked down and saw what he was wearing. He was wearing, of all things … a onesie He tried a mental exercise to think of it as a T shirt with a bottom. But what he was wearing underneath that wouldn't let his brain make the excuse. And what he was wearing underneath that onesie? Oh, it was very used. John grimaced very unpleasantly and just flopped his head back to the softly padded bottom of the playpen. His butt was still in the air rather comically, and he did not care. “I don't want to be incontinent.” He said quietly to himself, in a shallow hope that want would change his circumstance. And since that didn't make his diaper clean, and it was very uncomfortable in the position that it was in. So hoping for the best, he went limp and let his legs just splay out on their own and his hips fall to the mat. This was also deeply unpleasant. Eventually he could hear his guardian angel coming across the living room and stopping nearby and whisper “Awww. Are you still asleep?” Like a coffee dependent walrus with severe dehydration he croaked out “Yes and I am having a bad dream.” He could feel a large hand on his back, the warmth bleeding through the thing cloth covering him. And the same voice whispering “And what is your bad dream about, sweety?” “It's a bad dream about my underwear being full and gross. I would like to wake up at home in my crappy one room efficiency and deal with endless stress over bills, please." He heard a little laugh, followed by a clearing of her throat. “Maybe your Aunt has already rubbed off on you too much. Come on We have full day and I need you clean and presentable.” He felt two hands this time. They got him under the chest. He decided to stay limp. If he didn't consent to being awake, then he wouldn't have to be awake. He was hoisted onto a shoulder and his legs went around someones torso. “Arms.” Groaning was his only verbal response as he flopped an arm up and over her shoulder around her neck. “Close enough.” He was now carried into the bathroom where a towel was pulled off the rack with one hand and dropped and spread with a foot. He could hear her mumbling now “Thankfully at least having to do this on the floor ends today.” He felt himself pivot onto his back and laid on the towel on the tile floor. “Uh oh.” He groaned in an odd way that he hoped was a question. “You leaked.” Now he opened one eye and looked up, mumbling “I'm sorry. I don't want to.” She shushed him and patted him on the chest. “No sweetheart, I know about that. I mean that I don't have any overnight diapers for you and now you need a bath and I need a fresh shirt. Suddenly he wasn't as sleepy and both eyes came open, even if he wasn't quite able to speak yet. “Wha....” And then he noticed the two oddly crescent shaped stains on her shirt and gagged. She rubbed his head “Shhh. Shhh. It's all fine, it's not your fault. And this was something we needed to learn together anyway. We can fix this while we're in town and the washing machine is one room over. I'm going to run you some bath water get you cleaned up, and then get the washing machine going.” He didn't see her move, she just leaned back and stretched to turn two knobs and push something down. She looked back at him “Okay, time to get cleaned up here, and then cleaned up the rest of the way!” Johns butt was lifted and he heard some snaps being undone. He was then sat upright, causing him to grimace and shake his head side to side saying “Uhh uhh, do not like that feeling” while his onesie was pulled up and over his head, his arms just limply flopping back by his sides as he was laid back down. “You're going to be fine.” He could hear the sound of tape ripping. And suddenly cold air hit him 'down there' and he squealed “GAAA” Now he was more awake. Unfortunately that meant that he could feel himself being wiped clean. His ankles lifted effortlessly with one hand and he was wiped more. And then lifted up stark naked in front of a giant woman that was smiling as she rotated around, lowering him into the warm bath water. “I know that I promised you some bubble bath, and I know you want it because you're shy. If you remind me at the store, I'll let you pick the smell and everything, okay?” He nodded mutely, turning a bit red as she she turned back around and rolled up the dirty diaper, and putting it on top of the toilet. In a flash she was lathering up a rag and smiling “Okay, I would love to let you soak, but unfortunately I have messages that all three of our appointments are before lunch. So we're going to have to hurry. Arms!” He lifted his arms and his under arms and torso was scrubbed pretty thoroughly, then he lifted up and repeated the pattern from yesterday. Within two minutes he was clean and already had his hair rinsed. As he watched an arm pulling the stopper and the water started to quickly go away. As he was lifted up out of the tub, he was greeted with a lovely face and gentle smile. “John. You're spaced out, sweety. Are you okay?” She tried riling him up just a bit by scrubbing him vigorously with a towel. Finally he started mentally waking up “Oh. I'm not very awake yet. Coffee?” A large face came into view and he felt a cheek against his “We have to be at my family doctor in an hour. We can ask him if you can have coffee then, okay?” Groggily, he just nodded along and within moments he was standing on a towel in front of the toilet. “Do you need to potty?” He looked at the toilet and down at himself, then back up and asked “May I try?” She answered “You absolutely may.” as she shuffled the diaper back down onto the towel, out of the way, and lifted first the lid, and secondly John himself. He heard a yawn and a trickling of liquid at the same time. Both of them were coming from him. “All done?” He nodded a response, and within seconds was on his back on a fresh diaper. He started to grumble about the diaper, but stopped himself and said “Thank you for letting me go in the toilet.” Figuring that it would be best to show gratitude in hopes of getting more kind treatment in the future. After he was taped up into another diaper, she picked him up and gave him a kiss on the forehead “That was a very mature way of putting that.” He felt a bit confused by the compliment, but if it's not his world, then maybe that's a good thing. “Okay young man, off to the living room. We'll get you dressed after Momma changes and cleans up.” Well, he had his instructions and he turned to the door and waddled for moment before he managed to get a more normal stride. He couldn't shake the mental image of the stains on her shirt. That was his fault, and it was deeply unsettling. Why was this happening to him? Was it really the food? The juice certainly went through him pretty quickly. And after eggs and just innocent raw sweet peas he certainly humiliated himself. To be fair it was a lot of sweet peas. Last night before bed it was a little odd being wrapped up and given milk. But you can't possibly get more innocent than milk. Thinking of the milk brought back a memory from on the couch last night. He must have been tired, but was pretty sure he saw Kate being breastfed. He would have to ask about that today. He couldn't think of any way of asking that wouldn't be awkward, so he kind of expected to chicken out and not ask. But if the opportunity presented itself, he would ask eventually. Eventually. He plopped onto the living room floor and sat cross legged thinking about the word eventually. The fact that he was thinking the word eventually at all meant that he expected to be here for a while. A long while. It was a lot to process and apparently he was spaced out for a few minutes because Amanda came back into view, now sporting clean clothes and he could hear the washing machine going behind him. She held up some clothes “Do you want to pick what you wear, today or do you want me to pick for you? He tried to get out of his own head and think fast. What was the least childish option available to him? The shirt and stretchy pants? Was that a trap? Would that just end him up with no pants? “Ummm... maybe .. the shirt and shortall things?” Oh please let this be the best choice. Without a moments hesitation she said “Arms up!” and as he held them up he found himself in a red shirt that had a cartoonish raccoon tinkering with a toy train with a toy screw driver. Well, his choice is made, and now he was looking at some denim that looked like a short childish version of overalls. “May … May I just put them on myself?” he asked almost afraid to offend the woman that has been so good to him. She did not look hurt at all, she placed them in his hands and patted him on the head as she walked away to put the other clothes into a bag “Would you like eggs and toast for breakfast again?” He got his feet into the shorts just fine and got them up his legs fine. He called toward her “May I just have some toast please?” while he was a very strange dance of going backwards and trying to pull the back up over a very irritating diaper. He tried pulling the pants out behind him and bouncing up and down on the front of his feet. He finally got them on, but couldn't get the clips to go in all the way. Walking over to the kitchen he could smell toast. Amanda came over and looked at his clothes, but did not say a word, she simply picked him up into a hug and slid him down into the booster seat. With one quick flick from each hand at the same time, the buckles on his shortalls were clipped into place. As she went for the lap belt, he asked “Do you have to put that on me? I'm not going to fall and get hurt, you know.” She mussed his still damp hair and looked down at him, explaining “We have to get into this habit. Our home is going to be inspected soon and one slip up and you'll have to go in a high chair. Would you prefer the lap belt, or the high chair?” John didn't even answer, he grabbed the ends of the lap belt and fumbled a bit to line them up and push them in. It was alarming how HARD he had to push, but the ends did click into place. He looked up at her with a smile “Lap belt is good. I like the lap belt.” He was smiling on the outside, but holding in a lot of stress. Why should he have to be locked to a chair like a toddler? While she walked away to get toast, he experimentally pushed the release button. He pushed some more, and then gave up. How strong ARE these amazons, this is nuts! The sight and smell of toast being put in front of him distracted him, so he looked up and said “Thank you very much” before reaching out and grabbing a piece of toast in both hands. He bit into it with a crunch and had to admit to himself that it was very savory. Maybe the bread where he was from was too sweet. But this buttered toast was just plain and simple and good. Also a corner of it fell off and landed in the dogs mouth. “Young man, I saw that!” He went back to munching on his thick buttered toast, frowning when some butter got onto his nose, he tried wiping his arm against his nose discretely. Then came the exasperated “Son, please don't get butter everywhere, we have to leave the house in a few minutes.” Only now did he look over and see Amanda at the counter munching on her own toast while cleaning things up and shoving some things into a bag. A big bag with a shoulder strap. And puppies printed on the side. Suddenly he wasn't hungry enough for the second piece of toast. He nibbled on a corner for show and then put if back and said “I'm full now.” He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the sippy cup in front of him. Great big ol' green sippy cup. Full of cold juice. He could see the condensation starting to bead up on the outside. John looked down at his diaper. Then reached back and grabbed the side of the chair to twist around and looked at the playpen he woke up in. Then spun back around to look a what he was very certain was a diaper bag. Now, John would never claim to be the smartest person in the room. And he wasn't really the dumbest person around. But he was sometimes slow on the uptake. And gears were starting to move in his head. They were a bit squeaky, but move they did. He was nervous. His hands and feet were shaking. He could feel his chest shaking. Should he say something? Would saying something make things worse? What had he wandered into? He remembered promising his boss that he would be careful and stick to known trails. Shaky hands went up to his head, and he tried to pull his feet up, but the booster seat kept him from curling up into a ball. Off somewhere in the distance, he heard “Okay sweety, it's time to … oh no.” Suddenly Amanda was there and the buckle that he had struggled with was undone with a flick. He was immediately lifted up and his face was buried in a shoulder. There was hair in his face. But she smelled nice. He tried to focus on the fact that she had obviously gotten up early to get things ready and let him sleep. But it wasn't working. He tried to think about the dog. He tried to think about Kate. Kate and her pacifier and her diaper and that look she got when she talked about getting lost and being scared. He had been so star struck with how cute she was and how bouncy her .. Mommy … was. He started to cry. He tried to wrap his arms and legs around the amazon holding him and squeeze her tightly. There was a warm hand moving slowly up and down his back. He could hear a slow, rhythmic breathing over the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. “Shhh, deep breaths. In... Out.... In … Out...” He tried to mimic the breathing. Had he been hyperventilating? Maybe he was. His hands and legs were definitely still trembling. This slow breathing continued for a few more minutes and when he was finally calm he went limp. There was a whisper in his ear “I'm sorry sweety, but this is going to be a busy day. I'll be here with you every step of the way, and I'll try to help you stay calm and explain everything as best I can. I know it's scary, but I need you to be brave for me. Can you do that?” For the life of him, John had no idea why that was so reassuring when he had no idea what was going on, but he nodded into her shoulder and was rewarded with a pat on the back and a “Good boy. Let's wipe you off, blow your nose and get some shoes on you.” She put him down and patted his head before snagging a towel off of the counter and making a little show of wiping off his face and giving him a mom style smirk while wiping the butter off of his forearm. Then came a tissue and the simple command "Blow." “Okay, grab your juice and meet me at the door.” he hesitated “Pronto mister” For reasons he didn't yet understand, that got him into gear and he went to the table, grabbed his sippy cup and even managed to beat her to the door. She opened the door for him and said “Go sit on the steps, and we'll put some sock and shoes on you.” Out the door he went and he sat on the top step. Amanda came outside and handed him some socks. He took them and while he was putting them on, she held out a pair of blue and white sneakers a little cartoon hedgehog on the back. “Do you need help with these?” He looked around. He had boots that she had seen him tie himself. Why would she even think to ask that? He just shook his head no and took the sneakers from her and shoved his feet into them. Pulling the laces hard to tighten the shoe, he ran the laces over and under one another and pulled that tight. These laces were stiff, it was like there was a spring in them or something and they were really hard to make a bow out of. He turned his foot sideways and looked at the bottom of the shoe and it said “Little Shores” Okay, this was made for littles, so surely a little should be able to tie it. But every time he made a bow and tried to pull it through, it just popped out. “This is ridiculous” he mumbled. “Do you want to try to tie them in the car, or do you want me to them just this once because we're in a hurry?” She offered. She sounded completely sincere, so he just nodded and asked “Can you … please tie them for me just this once?” And like that both of his shoes were tied in a flash. What he struggled with she did in four seconds flat. She stood up and grabbed the bag. Okay, the diaper bag, and held out a hand to him “Come on, let's get moving.” He reluctantly reached up and took the hand. Something in the back of his min was screaming at him as he walked along holding her hand, with a sippy cup in his other hand and she had a diaper bag on her opposite shoulder. But he didn't feel like he had any choice in the matter. In fact he was pretty sure that he had no choice whatsoever. They went through the tall wooden gate, and it was not lost on him that the latch was at the height of her neck. Well out of his reach. They walked out of the gate and he waved goodbye to Xerxes as she shut and latched it behind them. When he turned around from waving goodbye to the dog, he found himself looking at a perfectly normal looking sedan. Plain gray colored Sedan, no bells or whistles. Only as they got closer he could see that he only came up to the door handle. “Oh that's just big” he mumbled to himself. As she opened the back passenger door and slid the diaper bag onto the floorboard in front of the seat, he was left staring at … a carseat. A carseat. It was a big hunter green affair with mutely colored shaped all over it. It was facing backwards. And it was obviously in boyish colors. It was absolutely there waiting for him. He stood there frozen on the spot as she turned and picked him up. “Okay, so I know this is not what you were expecting from a car ride, but you are too small for a booster seat. Kate rides in one like this. I'm going to buckle you in so we can go now, okay?” He didn't respond, he was just staring at it. So eventually she had to give up and lower him into it. As she fiddled with the five point harness, he held out his hands to try to stop her. But they were brushed aside and the seat belt was clicked in any way. Then his sippy cup was laid in the carseat next to him and she was gone, replaced by a closed car door. The instant she disappeared he tried pushing himself against the straps with his arms and legs, using his torso to force the straps out. That didn't work. So while Amanda was getting in the drivers seat he started trying to push down on the big red button on the buckle. He was pushing so hard his knuckles were turning white from the effort while the car started. In fact, he was twisting in place and shoving with all his might against the straps when the car started moving. He could hear a throat clearing “I see that young man.” He looked up and saw a mirror facing the front and what he guessed was a mirror on the visor so she could see back. “Please stop struggling so much. I have to explain some things to you.” With one last final HEAVE he gave up and flopped back “Why a carseat?” He already suspected the answer as he got it: “For your safety. Things are much bigger here.” With a bit of a huff he picked up the sippy cup and started sucking on it. He hadn't had anything to drink yet and he was parched. So he contented himself with his only distraction for the moment. His only stimulus were a sippy cup and a mirror. And the mirror didn't even face the road. She asked him softly “Are you done pouting?” He answered back “I am not pouting” “You are absolutely pouting. But I kind of understand. So l need you to listen very closely to something, okay? Can you do that for me?” With one last defiant pull from his cup to delay answering, he put the cup against his side in the car seat and answer “Yes Ma'am.” She took a deep breath and honestly looked like she was preparing herself for something uncomfortable. How can this be uncomfortable for her? She's not in a carseat. He tried to shuffle around a bit, but the seat was padded on the sides and he kept just … sliding right back into the middle. It was even like there was a divot where his butt was for the diaper. Honestly, his options were to look up at the mirror, or drink from his sippy cup. She started trying to explain: “Okay. You know you're not in your dimension any more. I've already told you that rift littles are pretty uncommon. But there ARE littles your size here. But they are not … quite like you are used to. And Amazon society can be very strict, even with other amazons. Some littles, and it's not their fault, just get kind of swept up in things beyond their control. And they need some taking care of. It's not their fault and honestly no one should blame them for it.” He had been sort of starting at the mirror while she talked and interrupted her “You mean they need taking care of … like a baby?” “Okay, first of all, I will not treat you like a baby. Unless you want me to. As long as you act in a mature way, I promise to treat you in the most mature way that I can. You can't exactly reach the knobs on the back of my stove to turn it on without reaching over it and cooking yourself the instant you turn the knob, for example. Again -” “Not your fault” He said it with her in unison this time, and in the same tone. “Hey, don't you get smart with me.” “... Sorry” He could feel the car turning and then speeding up. He figured they were on some sort of highway or main road. She continued “Okay, so some littles need more help than others. And when you combine that with an Amazons urge to mother everything in sight … “ As she trailed off, he asked “Then you get careseats?” “We already have them for amazon children. If you were asked to invent a new wheel, what shape would it be?” “Uhhhh.... round?” He probably didn't look like he understood, but he thought he had the gist of it. “So you can't really reinvent the wheel.. it's there. It works. Just go with it. So yes. Carseat.” “Okay, that's fair.” “Speaking of, is your carseat comfortable?” He scooted around and tried to get UNcomfortable on purpose, but kept sliding right back into a cradled position with even his knees being held gently by the cushioning. After trying to defy the logic of the question he admitted “It's very comfortable.” He could see her nod in the mirror while watching the road. “It works and it's comfortable. That's the utilitarian side of Amazon society. A side that can be taken to extremes every so often. So … we are going to the Doctors Office, then to the Adoption Center, and then to a store that sells furniture sized for littles.” He nodded at first but then asked “Hey, why do I have to go to a doctor anyway? I'm healthy enough.” He could see her shaking her head “That's not good enough. I want you checked out, and I want a piece of paper from the doctor to bring with us to the Adoption center to show to the LPS to prove that we're taking your health seriously.” “So why are we going to an adoption center, anyway?” he was afraid of this elephant in the room, but had to ask. She answered coldly “Because if we don't do this, LPS will come to the house with police and take you from me and put you in a nursery. And then someone will come and just picky ou and take you home and they are honestly likely to treat you more like an infant than a toddler.” It took some time to process that cold statement of fact. “But … why would someone treat me like a baby?” “John, I'm very sorry... but you're about to see some things that are going to scare you. Some littles act like small children. Some littles get turned into them. Our birth rate is very low, and frankly you have no idea what our maternal instincts are like. I moved out of town to get away from it all. I promise to explain that to you some other day if you want to know why, but this is absolutely not the time.” Okay, now he was getting scared. “But .. you can't just treat an adult like a baby!” He could hear her sigh from the front of the car, but she didn't answer for several minutes, leaving him with a lot to think about … while in a diaper … in a carseat... holding a sippy cup. “Is that why the diapers?” he finally broke the silence. She shook her head “No sweety, that's genuinely because the juice, the milk, some of the food... I'm sorry but the cards are stacked against you. Your Aunt Cat can explain it better than I can. I just know that our food and milk has a load more nutrients than you need, so littles tend to live long healthy lives. As long as we pay some attention to what you eat. Bit of juice, milk twice a day, brush your teeth frequently, and you're likely to stay very healthy indeed.” He kind of mulled that over “Is that why the sweet peas … umm...” “It's okay sweety, you can say you had an accident.” He just let that trail off and refused to think about it again as he felt the car turn, then turn again, then turn one last time and come to a stop. The engine stopped and she got out of the car. A moment later the door opened and she was rubbing his head and giving him a warm smile “Okay Sweety, ti's already been a thirty minute drive. That seemed way faster than normal since I had someone to talk to. We're going to bring you in to see Doctor Galanis. You might see some other littles in the lobby that are … not as mature as you are. I need you to stay as calm as you can. If you start to feel stressed, squeeze my hand and Mommy will hold you to help you calm down again. Are you ready?” He answered honestly: “No?” She immediately unbuckled him picked him up. He was lifted up out of the (admittedly) comfortable seat, and then placed standing on the sidewalk next to Amanda. She grabbed the diaper bag and knelt down in front of him so that her face was only a bit above his own. “Okay. One more thing. Amazon society frowns on … Maybe if can put it this way. If you need to get my attention, either take my hand, or address me as Mommy. Littles call their caretaker Mommy here and just blurting out my name in public might get you a bit more than frowned at. You don't have to call me Mommy at home, but I'd really rather you didn't get spanked in public, okay?” He must have had a blank stare because everything she said made no sense. He felt her pat him on the cheek. “Sweety?” “Ummm... Call you Mommy?” he stammered out. She nodded “You don't have to do it at home now, but we're in public. Just .. You'll see . Promise me that you'll just do your best and I'll get you through this safe and sound and we'll be back home in no time. Okay?” He nodded mutely. He guessed maybe some amazons were loud or pushy. Maybe he was going to see some of that today. He took a deep breath and nodded again, this time more confidently. Yeah, he could handle this. It wouldn't be that bad. She held out her left hand and wiggled her fingers at him “C'mon big guy, let's take the first step toward keeping you safe.” So he reached up and took her hand and walked along with her. He felt kind of like a toddler, If he was honest. It wasn't a good feeling, but it was all he had at the moment. As they entered the doctors office, everything looked normal. Lobby with a row of chairs on each side. Window for checking in straight through from the door. Door on either side that probably only opened from the inside. Handful of people in the lobby. All completely normal. This is easy. The two of them went up to the window and the glass slid open sideways. All he could see from his view was a head of curly brown hair. He heard “Name?” “Taylor.” “Date of birth?” “Oh, yesterdays date.” He heard some loud clacking as someone typed on the other side of the window. And then he heard a gasp and she exclaimed “Oh! Little John?” Now the head came out of the window and peered down at him with a BIG smile. “Hello cutie! Did you get a new Mommy?” He scooted around behind Amanda for safety. He couldn't even control his urge to swallow hard. “Awwww” she cooed and looked back up “He's a shy one isn't he?” Amanda nodded “Yes Ma'am, he's a bit shy like his Momma. We're here for a checkup, since he got lost out in the cold.” “Oh, yeah. Poor thing needed an adult to take care of him!” and he could hear more clacking coming from inside the window. “Okay, if you'll take a seat, it won't be a couple of minutes. Your doctor is actually just getting here and your cutie is up first!” Amanda nodded and then looked down at John “Please say thank you to the nice lady” He looked up at her, trying to plead with his eyes, but it looked like she had a mask on. She looked like an entirely different person than she did in the car. He swallowed nervously and looked up to see the same face coming out of the window again. He gave a little wave and barely squeaked out “T..thank you Ma'am” For some reason she clapped and giggled, repeating “Such a cutie.” and the window slid shut. Amanda lead him to the chair nearest the front and she picked him up and put him in a chair next to her. For just a brief moment, the mask slipped and she whispered “You're doing fine.” O...kay .. all he did was tell a stranger 'Yes Ma'am.' While she was comfortable sitting and waiting quietly, Johns eyes wandered around the lobby, looking at the other people waiting around. That woman had a baby carrier on the floor in front of her. Lady in the corner had a stroller. A new woman walked in with a baby carrier. As she set the baby carrier down John caught a look at the baby in the stroller. Bald and drooling, the baby inside was was gnawing on teething ring. And then they locked eyes with each other. The baby stared at him unnervingly. Something was wrong … something was VERY wrong. He broke eye contact and looked at the stroller in the corner. And then the baby carrier across from him and then back to the drooling baby in the carrier by the front window. The door that they were sitting next to opened and he heard “Taylor!” Amanda got up and held her hand out to John. He couldn't make his body move, he was shaking now. He had to be wrong. There's no way that was an adult. Amanda gave up on him moving and picked him up. As he was carried through the door the baby in the carrier maintained eye contact all the way up until the door swung shut. He was carried into a room with cartoon animals on the walls, there was was a char in the corner, an exam table that patients would sit on. A table with a computer, a cabinet with supplies. All of this seemed normal... except there was a playpen in the corner. He figured that could be normal enough, some people have have kids. Amanda placed him butt down on the exam table and stood next to him mussing his hair up gently while the nurse looked over a chart. The nurse leaned down with a smile and said “Okay little one, we need to check your blood pressure, and your temperature. Can you let me borrow your arm?” Okay, this was mundane enough, he could do this. He held out his arm and she put a little cuff on it, and then it inflated and stayed in pace. Then she said in that same cheery tone “And temperature” so he opened his mouth out of habit and she laughed and said “No sweety, use a forehead thermometer for the babies. Hold still. Being called a baby after what he just saw made the anxiety kick back up to an eight out of ten. He stayed still while she got his temperature and when she checked the blood pressure, she observed out loud “Uh oh, someones blood pressure seems to be a bit high.” John wanted so badly to say something clever like 'you think!?' but he couldn't make his mouth move, he was practically frozen in place. Salivating and swallowing nervously. He must have had a look, because the nurse read him plain as day and asked Amanda “New little?” Amanda nodded with a big smile “I've only had him a few days! Poor thing is still really nervous about a lot of things.” The nurse nodded to Amanda and then held out her hands “Come on baby let's get your height and weight.” He looked at Amanda and she just nodded at him so he let the nurse untie his shoes and take them off. And almost went ragdoll when she picked him up. He was stood up on onto a scale with a sliding weight and then a little arm was swung out and moved down on top of his head. He instinctively took a deep breath and tried to look tall. All that achieved was was a laugh from both the nurse and Amanda. He couldn't help slumping like he was deflating a little. The nurse picked him back up and put him on the exam table and said “You can be a big boy and put your shoes back on now. So while he was pulling his shoes back on and fighting with the laces, he heard the nurse say “Doctor Galanis will be in very soon, He's just getting his paperwork and order, and honestly hitting the coffee pot.” Amanda nodded knowingly. “Yes, it is a bit early. We had breakfast on the run. And someone, who I will not name, was trying to feed his breakfast to the dog.” John just sat there mumbling a bit still fighting with the shoelaces in silence. Every time he would make the loop to pull it would just fly out of his hands. Combine this with everything else and he was starting to get more and more upset. And while Amanda was respecting his want to do it by himself, this is when the doctor walked in. An older amazon with salt and pepper hair walked in holding a tablet in one hand and a cup of coffee in another. Towering over the other two amazons in the room, the doctor nodded to Amanda as he walked in and she stood up and shook his hand “Hello Doctor Galanis, it's nice to see you!” “Miss Taylor, it's almost time for your checkup too, you know. But for now, let's take a look at your little boy here.” John felt a bit incredulous at the title but was hyper focused on doing at least one task correctly. His hands were shaking at this point. And they just talked about him like wasn't there anyway. “Let's see...Oh, new to our dimension? Was he vaccinated before he came through the portal?” the Doctor asked. Amanda shook her head “He wound up here completely on accident. He came through a rift.” John looked up just in time to see the doctors eyebrows go up “Oh. Well okay then. We can start vaccines right now and you can bring him back once a month. We should have him caught up in six months. Where did you find him, and do you have any concerns?” Amanda nodded, speaking FOR him again “I found him out in the woods. He had been lost and shivering for at least half a day.” “Ah. Let's give him a listen then.” said the doctor while taking his stethoscope off of his shoulder “Would you be so kind as to unfasten his shortalls and we'll check him out?” Amanda nodded “Yes Sir.” and turned to unbuckle his shortalls. John immediately let go of his shoelaces and tried to beat her to the punch by grabbing the top of his shortalls and pushing down on the strap with shakey hands to unclip it. He mumbled “come onnnnnn” to himself but it just would not go down to come off. Finally Amandas hand came into his view while he was focused on his task. With just a flick one side was off, and the moment he dropped his hands incredulously, she moved to the other side and it was off in a flash, leaving it to fall to the table below him. “Arms up!” John just looked at her and then the doctor, still feeling not only nervous, but frustrated. And still scared. “Arms up, sweety.” and finally she just grabbed his shirt and firmly lifted until it came up, along with his arms. “I'm sorry Doc, he just gets a little scared. He's usually climbing things and helping in the garden, and he even went in the potty twice.” The doctor leans and looked at the still untied shoes and nodded “Well it's good that he can tell when he needs to go sometimes. That means that any Maturosis is only light. That's pretty rare these days!” Amanda just nodded along, but John just looked back and forth between the two of them before asking “What is MatuAAHH” he lost his train of thought when a cold stethoscope half the size of his hand was pressed against his back. “Deep breaths big guy. In.... out … in … out...” John did his best, but every time the cold object was moved to a new spot he shivered all over again. And finally the onslaught ended. And he was left full on shivering. “Okay, his lungs seem clear, and he's not running a fever. He might be a bit nutrient deficient. Make sure he gets plenty of milk twice a day. Full bottle at lunch, full bottle at bedtime. As long as you can keep him from running around in the cold, he should be healthy enough. Let's see, according to his chart he is … four foot eight and about 70 lbs. Oh, scrawny little thing.” John couldn't help himself. “Hey, I'm not scrawny!” Doctor Galanis laughed “Ah, there's his voice. I thought I would have to put mute in his Maturosis synptoms." The doctor gave him a pat on the head “It's not your fault, you're just a bit little. Your new Momma will take good care of you.” John started to open his mouth until he felt Amanda pat his thigh firmly in warning. So he shut his mouth and sulked. “Okay, the nurse is coming in now, and we're going to give him two vaccines today. He's lucky he wound up with you instead of in the city. The Amazonian Flu has killed six littles this year. And being unvaccinated, he wouldn't have stood a chance.” John heard the door open and the nurse come in, and turned to look. He was still shaking when she came in. When he saw the needles she was carrying his panic level went from eight out of ten straight to eleven. And for the second time in as many hours he started breathing faster and getting worked up to a panic. As the nurse turned to him with the needle, Amanda was also looking at him with some concern. He was staring at the needle in her hand and started scrabbling back along the table to get away from her and that needle. It's too much, he wanted away. He started hyperventilating right there in front of everyone so heavily he started to choke on his own saliva, scrambling back along the table so desperately that his untied shoes came off and his shortalls came halfway down his legs and bunches up at his knees. Paper crinkled almost deafeningly under him. He didn't even see Doctor Galanis dash out of the room. Amanda was grabbing at one of his arms and one of his legs to try to pull him to her saying “shhh, shhh, come here, come here” while the nurse put the needle down and was trying to grab him before he could fall off of the back of the table. By the time they both had their hands on him it was over, he squirmed and tried to roll like an alligator but he felt may as well have been a doll to them. Somehow they had gotten him wrapped around Amandas torso and he was shivering against her. And refused to breath along with her. He couldn't even hear her, he just kept getting flashes of someone his size with no teeth, and waking up in a playpen and anything his brain could conjure up to panic about. Doctor Galanis strode right back in holding a pacifier and held it out to the nurse, saying “Here, this is dipped in Littles paste, it will stop his panic attack. Get that in his mouth now! And then began the dance. He was held tightly to Amanda and trying to turn his head to the side to bury his face in her neck. The nurse was following him with the pacy. Doctor Galanis simply stepped forward and pressed his stethoscope to the small of Johns exposed back. THAT made him gasp and immediately the pacifier was in his mouth. He tried to push it out with his tongue, he tried to turn his head. He tried to bite it in half as hard as he could. He even tried screaming at the top of his lungs, but he coudn't even take a deep breath while hyperventil.... … … he slowed down. The taste of Strawberry filled his mouth. He was still shivering uncontrollably, but he started to calm down. His breathing slowed down and he closed his eyes. Strawberries are good. I can do strawberries. He had absolutely no idea why he was panicking. He had Amanda. He had strawberries. He could feel the nurse pushing the front of the pacy and forth a bit with her finger making him suck on it. That made the strawberry flavor stronger. So he sucked on the strawberry flavoring. He could barely make out what was being said behind him as Doctor Galanis spoke with Amommda. John closed his eyes. He was spent.

Chapter Two: Amanda Taylor seemed a very normal offering for her people. A bit short for an Amazon at ten and a half feet tall, she sported dark brown hair down to her waist and dressed very conservatively today in loose fitting jeans and an old shirt as she worked outside. Amanda spent the day in her garden, content to have a nice quiet day. Unlike most of her friends, she didn't like being in the city with all of the hustle and bustle. With a satellite internet connection and working from home, she had managed to get a small two bedroom house out of town, next to an adorable little creek. It wasn't a fancy home, but it was hers. And most importantly, it was paid off. She had spent the last three years working all of the overtime she could make certain that she was able to finish it off quickly. There was something about waking up in a paid off home and having coffee on your porch overlooking the stream that felt amazing. A large fluffy dog sat on the porch next to her staring at the squirrel in the distance while she drank coffee. Giving him a reassuring pat she admonished him “Xerxes, you're never going to catch that squirrel, just leave it alone.” But she was met with a grumble from a very talkative dog. Xerxes was absolutely not going to give up on harassing that squirrel it if came into the yard. Startled a bit as the phone rang, she put her coffee down and pointed at Xerxes and admonished “No barking while I'm on the phone, Mister!” as she walked inside to answer the phone. Standing half in the doorway, still determined to enjoy the brisk air, she picked up the receiver. “Hello?” “Oh hi, Cat!” “Yes, we are still on for next weekend, but I wish you would come out here instead.” “I live a half hour out of town, it is not that far and you know it.” “Cat, are you trying to hook me up again?” Rolling her eyes now “Cat, I'll date again when I'm ready to. And no I moved out of the city to get away from all of that noise.” Now leaning against the doorway: “Yes Cat, I know, I have Xerxes out here, and you know he's very protective.” Slumping slightly “No Cat, I don't want to adopt a little. I've never really met one that just see..... okay okay, listen. I'll make you a promise if you'll drop this. If I ever find a little, OR a man, that I like, I will call you that same day. Fair?” And finally rubbing her temple “Yes Cat, I know and I love you too. Yes, I know you love your little and she's the sweetest thing on earth. If I meet one I feel the drive to adopt, I promise that I'll ask you for advice and you can come meet them.” “Yes Cat, I kno...” and now looking around her porch and noticing a specific ball of energy missing. “Cat, Xerxes is out the gate, I have to let you go. I'll see you next weekend! Bye!” and she nodded for a moment and then hung up and looked at the back yard where Xerxes, her large fluffy Collie most certainly was NOT. Putting on her shoes she grumbled now “I swear that I either have the best dog in the world or the worst. He's lucky he's adorable and protective.” and she set off through the gate in her back yard to find her errant canine. --Meanwhile!-- John woke up very thirsty and groggy after only a couple of hours of fitful sleep. Carefully unzipping the flap of his tent he peeked outside to see if he was alone, or if the freakishly large squirrel was back to scare him senseless again. Seeing that the coast was clear he quickly grabbed something from his wagon and relieved himself before burying any evidence and going back to his wagon. Determined to stop shivering in this brisk air he set about making another small fire and sitting down next to it rubbing his legs. It was warm shorts weather when he set out this morning and now it was a bit chilly here in the shade. Just one more piece of the puzzle that made no sense. Eventually realizing that he has a cell phone, he pulls it out of his pocket and stares at it. Of course there's no signal. It was worth a try. Hearing a sound of something moving in the leaves behind him, he reaches into to the wagon behind him with his left hand for a freakishly large acorn while sliding his phone back into his pocket with his right hand. Standing up he turns to see the same squirrel back again. Carefully holding the acorn out at arms length the squirrel reaches for it more slowly this time, and holds it in its paws for a moment while smelling his hand. Then it's gone again in nearly silent sprint, bounding up the side of the tree. With a little laugh, despite himeself, he mumbles out “I shall call him Steve.” and turns back to his fire to see … a very large furry black nose in front of his face. With a now panicked and very unashamed scream, John jumps backwards away from the beast, over his wagon and back against a tree. Fumbling again for his camp knife and dropping it, he takes lots of shallow, panicked breathes. Hyperventilating as he tries to take stock of what he's looking at, he sees that he is looking at a … dog. A dog the size of a horse. Calming slightly, honestly surprised that he is still alive and mildly relieved that he had just recently emptied his bladder, John took a cautious look at the beast in front of him. Black furry snout? Check. White fluffy chest? Check. Black body crouched low, possibly ready to jump? Check. Large black tail flicking back and forth wildly knocking everything out of his wagon? Double check. Holding out his left hand, slightly confident that he's not dead yet he says quetly “Uhhhh.... good …. uhhh... good doggy?” Immediately the large beast darts forward and starts smelling him. Not just his hand but his face and his chest and down. Standing with his eyes closed, all John could do was turn his head to the side and hope for the best until he stopped feeling the nose all over him. For a moment all that he could hear was the sound of a dog breathing excitedly in his face and a tail knocking over his wagon with a loud clatter. Experimentally, he reached up with his left hand and put it on the beasts's nose. This turned out to be a mistake because two seconds later he had a tongue dragged up his torso and over his face, leaving him in a mixed state of fear and disgust. He was cold. He was now wet. He was relieved to be alive. And he was wet. Yes, wet is listed twice. John is on the verge of a panic attack, he's allowed to focus on one thing twice. From off in the distance he could hear a voice calling something. He couldn't quite make it out, but it was definitely a voice. And at the sound of the voice the thumping of the ballistic tail stopped and the dog laid down and was still. What in the world was this dog doing? Trying to sneak back around the dog toward his wagon, John can't help himself but try to reach out and splay all his fingers out and scratch just above one enormous ear. It's a dog. You have to scratch the ears, even if it's a giant dog and you have no idea what's going on. With seemingly no control over what is going on aroudn him,t he only thing John can think to do is turn his wagon back upright and put his few items back into it. While he's flipping it back over he is very aware of the sound of crunching leaves getting closer very quickly. As he looks up he can hear the same voice calling out, and now he can hear it closely. “Xerxes! Where did you get off to goofy dog! You never go out this far without me!” Looking forward at his own height, expecting to see a human, he finds himself looking at … a thigh. Wait, what? A waist. Looking up John finds himself face to … uhh, waist, with a very tall woman with long brown hair. Lovely sight to behold, but terrifyingly large. John drops the ice chest he was putting back into his wagon and cannot help his impulse to back away from the giant, genuinely terrified beyond control. She looks at him with surprise “Oh my! A little! What are you doing out here? It's dangerous for you!” That was it. John pivoted on his left foot and sprinted through the trees.

2 for bed time 3 for not going anywhere 1 for a trip to walmart as it is the closest match to the tranquility ATN I was already in at walmart about 1 hour ago 😂. ( had a doctor's apoointment and the mag citrate I drank to replace the lactulose unitl I got the script refilled didn't exit my system by the time the taxi picked me up, not shure about anyone else but wrecking the chairs at a dr's office is not something I want to experience😂)

Flash Fiction: Advanced Day 2 You’re wandering around the re-education center’s playroom. You feel the old familiar cramp in your stomach, and the fullness in your bottom. You stop. You pick a spot in the middle distance. You bend your knees slightly. You push. No muss. No fuss. No crying. No shouting. A slight groan rattles up from your throat, but that can be forgiven. You feel your cheeks spread and your anus stretch while you push. Gravity helps a tiny bit, but the brown squishy mass hits the back of your diaper very quickly. You’re going to have to push the rest of the way. This is weird. This is gross. This is weird and gross. Just don’t think about it. Don’t stop! You keep pushing. It’s easy. Your stool is soft and your sphincter muscle’s need to contract and push makes it feel more natural than it is. Just keep pushing. Don’t think about the mucky warmth. Don’t reach back and feel the lump that is forming. You just push and push and push until the pain stops and you unintentionally sigh with relief. Then, like a good ‘baby, you keep toddling around as if you had no idea what just occurred. You ignore the body temperature mess or the smell that is starting to invade your nostrils. “Hold on,” one of the Mommies says. That’s what the center calls them here: Every woman is ‘Mommy’. Every man is ‘Daddy’. She reaches around and squeezes the front of your diaper without preamble or explanation. “You’re a little wet, but I don’t think you need a change yet.” She gives you a tiny swat, right on the lump of protruding out the back of your onesie. “Okay. Go on.’ So you do. Three steps like nothing happened,and the same hand that groped you snatches you by the wrist. “Hold up! Almost forgot!” That’s a lie, but you’re smart enough to correct her. You’ve seen what happens to the babies that correct the Mommies and Daddies. A mushy tushy is better than a blisteringly smacked bottom. She starts patting your backside, practically massaging the lump in your non-pants. “Oh wow! You really made a big poop!” A droplet of sweat starts to form on your forehead. “Good baby!” She tugs at your wrist and leads you away. Your spirits are only slightly dampened when you realize she’s not leading you towards the changing tables, but you chastise yourself. This doesn’t bother you. It won’t bother you. You refuse. This Mommy parks herself in a rocking chair and pats her lap. Without hesitation, you sit down in her lap. Your face is a mask of comfort as the lumpy mass is flattened and spread out to more of your bum. You nuzzle her forehead with your own like you’ve seen the other, more successful babies do. You feel and smell gross, but you remind yourself: You’ve been here forty-eight hours, and in that time you haven’t seen a single baby have to change themselves. Diapers are only gross when they’re your problem. You add to that rationalization with a dash of hope. You’ve only been here forty-eight hours. Someone will rescue you. Your pardon will come. They’ll know you don’t deserve to be treated like this. Mommy produces a bottle and offers it to you. You take it and start suckling on it while she rocks you both. “You’re doing so well!” she praises you. “You’re such a smart baby!” You are. You know what’s up. “Most babies your age need help and reminders! But not you!” She gives you tiny pecks on your cheeks and strokes your hair. “You must be advanced!” You’re not advanced. You’re just not stupid. Since you’ve been here you’ve seen a boy screaming through his pacifier shaped gag while Daddies held him down and inserted an enema tube up his ass. He needed help pooping. Another girl asked for a change during naptime, so today they overfilled her bladder, waited until the wetness indicator turned all the way blue, and then chemically sedated her so she got used to laying in nothing but a wet diaper. Good babies played the part they were given. Those who didn’t, had things turned up to eleven until being a regular baby didn’t seem so bad. The room starts spinning and the Mommy hugs you closer so you don’t fall out of her lap. “Uh oh. I think someone’s getting sleepy,” she coos tauntingly. “I think someone needs a nap.” Your lips start to move, to ask about getting changed first. But your speech is too slurred to comprehend. That wasn’t just milk you’d been chugging. She bounces you on her lap, making the poop smear and smash up, as if your pants are filled with the foulest smelling playdoh. “Aw, you’re so tuckered out,” Mommy says. “I was gonna change you, but I think the rest is more important.” You did everything right, and you’re still getting the extreme treatment. It’s not fair. You can’t win. “Let’s put you down right away, my clever little baby. Then we’ll change you…if you need it.” You can’t win. That’s the lesson. No matter what you do, you’re going to be a baby and at the whims of whomever isn’t. That’s the real lesson. And it didn’t even take you two days. Maybe you are advanced.

Part Eleven The real Miley must have done a real number on all her other babysitters. This ‘last resort’ sitter certainly wasn’t taking any chances with me. Noelle insisted that I keep the bathroom door cracked a full foot, and that she would be right on the other side listening. If she heard the slightest suspicious noise, like me opening the window to climb out and steal away, she wouldn’t hesitate to invite herself in and stop me from doing so. Interestingly enough, I hadn’t even considered that as an option. It wasn’t a bad idea, although now I knew that the brunette was capable of thinking ahead in terms of that stuff. Anything I came up with would have to be clever enough to get away from her long enough for me to do what was necessary to prove my real age and/or identity. For now, however, I was just happy to be out of the leotard I had been wearing for way too long following my ballet class. Objectively, the clothes Paige grabbed for me weren’t the worst. The white tank top and blue shorts were familiar enough, considering that she grabbed them from a drawer in my room, although it was pretty clear why she had picked such a combo. While they were comfortable and summer-y, it was also the kind of simple outfit a middle school girl could wear as easily as a high school graduate. My sister had also conveniently seemed to forget to include a bra in the stack. The plain white panties weren’t particularly mature, either, even if they were admittedly probably something I’d wear with this outfit if it wasn’t a particularly eventful day. All in all, the clothes were subtly immature; just enough simplicity to further breathe life into the lie that I was Miley. Nervous that Noelle might burst in if I ended up taking too long, I begrudgingly peeled off the leotard and changed into my casual clothes. While the former outfit had sufficiently informed my babysitter about just how petite I was, I almost felt more self conscious about my smaller chest in the tank top. At least I had something form fitting on before, to show that I at least had some curves despite how unimpressive they were compared to most of my peers. The loose tank top, however, made me look painfully flat. And as much as I wanted one of my push-up bras to help a little in that department like usual, I knew that Paige would just bring down a sports bra or something if the choice was hers. Which it would be, considering that I wasn’t allowed in my own room at the moment. When I stepped back into the hall, Noelle simply gestured back towards the kitchen and mentioned that my schoolwork might be better now that I was more comfortable. Of course, that ‘comfort’ only went as far as my clothes. I still had my sore backside to contend with as I sat on the hard, wooden chair, as well as the personal discomfort of being mistaken for the unruly teen girl who lived a few doors down from us. Though science was easily my worst subject, the assignment as a whole was more tedious than it was complicated. Rather than any critical thinking, all I really had to do was hunt down each answer within the opening chapters of the textbook. The busy work was straightforward enough, and at least Paige wasn’t around at the moment. That peace only lasted for so long, unfortunately. One of her friends arrived, I assumed, unless the front door opening was my sister stepping outside for whatever reason. I braced myself for whoever it was to step into the kitchen and take in the sight the same way Paige had. But Paige had assured Noelle there wouldn’t be any disruptions like that, and she stayed true to her word. The footsteps on the stairs affirmed that her friend was heading right up upon arrival. Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, I got back to work. In the back of my mind, I knew that Paige’s friends would be seeing me at some point if they were going to be around all night, but I was also clinging to the hope that I’d find a way out of this sooner rather than later. When the front door opened a second time, I stupidly assumed that I would be fine just like before. Instead, her friend Violet walked straight to the kitchen instead of up the stairs. “Hey, Miley!” she smiled at me before glancing towards Noelle, “Oh, hey. Are you her tutor or something?” ‘Fuck.’ Obviously Paige had filled her in ahead of time. And I also recognized how well Violet was playing things. Affirming that I was Miley, while also acting somewhat oblivious to who Noelle was. The perfect combination to make it seem like she really was someone who knew me as Paige’s younger sister while also not having all the facts in terms of why there might be a babysitter around when Paige is here as well. “Or something,” Noelle said. Though she seemed oblivious to the trace of amusement flickering in Violet’s eyes, Noelle at least was taking the same professional approach she did with Paige. “Your friend is upstairs.” “Oh, I know,” Violet said, “I was just grabbing some water for the girls. Sorry for the interruption.” She didn’t take it any further than that. Turning her attention right away to the cabinet and then the sink, Paige’s dark haired gamer friend made short work of filling up a few glasses. There were definitely cups and bottles upstairs, as their group would spend hours up in Paige’s room at a time. If anything, they mostly came down for food. But this way, I would be called ‘Miley’ by someone that wasn’t my sister. I was facing away from the sink as I worked, but Violet managed to shoot me a knowing look as she carried the full glasses out into the hallway. Noelle was busy with her own laptop, no doubt using the time to take care of her own stuff while she supervised me, so I was the only one that witnessed the potential tell that this wasn’t at all a normal situation. And if Violet already knew about all this before even arriving, I didn’t want to think about what Paige might be telling her friends in person upstairs. But, as usual, there was nothing I could do about it. Lightly blushing from the recent encounter with Violet, I tried to focus back on the science worksheet in front of me. Maybe if I knocked out the whole thing and did well with my answers, Noelle would bend the rules and give me a chance to go grab a bra since Paige was busy at the moment. And by grab a bra, I meant to use that as an excuse to go to my room in general. For the time being, however, I was stuck at the table. Working on Miley’s summer assignments, and praying that more of Paige’s friends weren’t going to stop by to see for themselves that I literally had a babysitter thanks to how my sister had jumped at the opportunity to fuck me over with this mix-up instead of explaining things to Noelle. I could only imagine what Miley was up to right now. Enjoying a house to herself and the freedoms of summer, all while I was the one suffering the consequences of her actions. ------------------- Check out my website: www.ladyluciastories.com And read more of "The Babysitter" and other stories on my Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=73056590

"No Choice". You’re in bed. Making love to Mommy. She’s wearing nothing. Neither are you. Except for your diaper. “Faster, baby,” she moans. “Faster.” You obey, thrusting into her as best as you can. No penetration. Pure friction. The only lubricant you have is the wet, pulpy feeling from your diaper. Your dick hasn’t been wet with anything save your own piss since don’t know how long. Literally. You don’t know. You’re not allowed to know. Mommy moans turn into giggles. “That’s right baby. Just a little longer. Let Mommy try for her third orgasm, first…” “Then I can cum?” you ask. “Then you can cum.” Your gyrating intensifies. You balance yourself and adjust so that you’re sucking on her tits with her legs wrapped around you, you humping her as best as you can given your compromising condition. You know she likes it. You like it too. You have to. You have no choice. “Awww, someone’s hungry,” Mommy teases. “It’s okay baby, you’re allowed.” Mommy used to have a different name. You used to think of her in so many different ways. Not anymore. You’re not allowed. Only Mommy. A cramp pushes through you. Those pills Mommy has you take to make it easier to poop are kicking in. You want to ask her to stop; take a break. Go potty. But you’re not allowed. Despite yourself, you slow down and unlatch from Mommy’s breasts. “What’s the matter, honey?” she coos up at you. “Does your tummy hurt?” You’re allowed to answer questions. “Yes, Mommy.” “Do you have to make pushies?” “Yes, Mommy.” Lovingly, she strokes your hair. “It’s okay honey. You’ve got your diaper on. Your diaper is so that you can do all the important things you need to do and be happy.” “Yes…Mommy.” Your eye twitches. You’re being given permission to make pushies. It’s not the permission you want. But you’re not allowed to ask for permission, it can only be given. “Such a good baby.” In the darkness of the bedroom, Mommy sees your distress. “Baby? Do you not want Mommy to give you permission to make pushies in your diaper?” You’re still humping her. Through the cramps. Through the conversation. Through the anguish. You haven’t stopped. She hasn’t given you permission to. You’re not allowed to stop. “Yes Mommy…no Mommy…I…I…” God you wish you could cum. She’s still grinding back beneath you. “It’s okay, sweetie. Mommy understands. Mommy will take away your pushy permissions.” Any relief is short lived. “Tomorrow we’ll let you watch your special video again and then you won’t have to wait to make pushies. You’ll just go as soon as your body tells you it’s time to go.” Those videos. It all started there. Maybe? It’s so hard to tell. This could be night one. This could be night always. You could be imagining things. You don’t know. You’re not allowed to. You just know that whenever you watch that special video that you and Mommy got together, you lose something, have it locked away behind a wall that your mind can no longer access. The first thing was the ability to take off your diaper by yourself. Or what to call or think of Mommy besides ‘Mommy’. First thing tomorrow, you’re going to start pooping your diaper like you were never potty trained. Yay? Were you into this Mommy/baby stuff before the videos? Did you wear diapers before? Did you know Mommy before this? You don’t know. Access denied. Not allowed. “Tell you what,” Mommy says. “Make pushies on purpose one last time and then you can cum. Okay?” “Yes Mommy!” You close your eyes. You grunt. You push. And like someone stepping on a tube of toothpaste the poop. After the initial seal is broken, your body goes on autopilot, pushing it out. “That’s right. Baby’s using his diaper for everything now, isn’t he?” “Yes, Mommy…” you pant, still in the midst of filling your pants. “Now cum, little mush tush.” One… Two… Three… That’s how many little bump and grinds you needed to push yourself over the edge. You start spurting cum into the front of your diaper right as your bowels are achingly pushing the last of the mess. It used to be so hard cumming into anything but another person or a tissue, now it’s nearly impossible to imagine you ejaculating into anything else. It’s as natural as peeing your diaper now. As natural as pooping your diaper will be tomorrow morning after the video. “MOMMY!” You scream while you go over the edge. “MOMMY!” Unlike the other two functions of the diaper, you have to announce your climaxes by calling out her name. “MOMMY!” “Good baby,” she whispers. She rolls you off of her and you collapse into a post orgasmic puddle. Mommy goes for number orgasm number four by herself. You lay perfectly still like you’re supposed to, stewing in your mess. When she’s done, Mommy helps you stand up and roll off the bed. “Come on,” she whispers. “Let’s get you changed and then Mommy will put you down in your crib.” If there was ever a time when you and Mommy actually slept in the same bed, you no longer remember it. You take her hand and toddle after her into your nursery. You hop up on your changing table and lay there in a haze while she changes your diaper. Wipes you. Powders you. Puts a fresh diaper on you. Then she has you hop off and walk to your crib. She gives you a kiss good night. “Sweet dreams, little one.” She raises the bars. You can’t get out. You close your eyes knowing you’ll most likely wake up wet. Tomorrow you’ll have a full day of watching your special videos, doing chores around the house, and generally doing anything that Mommy tells you to do… including playing with baby toys, drinking from your bottle, or taking medicine that makes it easier for you to use your diapers. You’ve never been happier. You don’t have a choice.

I wouldn't say spanking is exclusive to BDSM, considering how it's a pretty appropriate element to include in both AR and ABDL type stories. My writing is pretty famous for its realism and slow build-up, so you're not always going to see diapers right at the beginning. My website lists stories by type; I don't do so for every part on my Patreon because that would make the page look a bit cluttered in my opinion. Hope that helps! --Lady Lucia Part Ten After sternly reminding me to stay seated at the table, Noelle trusted me alone long enough to retrieve one of her bags from where she had left it in the foyer upon arrival. It was certainly a temptation to dart upstairs in the name of finding something to prove my identity before she could catch me, but my still throbbing backside was enough to give me pause. Not only was there the chance that Miley’s babysitter would catch me before I made it that far, but Paige could certainly slow me down if I ran into her. Especially if she was in my bedroom at the moment, invading my private space with the excuse of finding me an outfit as my ‘older sister.’ There was also the lingering idea of just darting out of the house and making a break for our next door neighbor’s place. While Noelle had said she would chase if that happened, I would have a decent head start. It’s not like it was that far. But no, I needed to bide my time. There would be a better moment to steal away, with less risk involved. For now, I was going to keep being a ‘reformed’ Miley. Noelle returned with her bag. She sat down across from me, officially closing the potential window of escape I had just been given. Now she was directly watching me, and poised to shut down any attempts of mine to get up. She pulled out a slim binder and a 7th grade science textbook. I couldn’t remember if it was the same one that I used back in middle school. “Start with the first two handouts in the binder,” Noelle said, sliding the small stack of materials across the table, “You may use the book to find any answers you need.” And that was that. I was working on Miley’s summer catch-up assignments. A quick skim of the two pages was enough to tell me that the ‘life science’ I would be focusing on was cell structure and function. The title of the handouts paralleled the second chapter of the book, which I ended up needing to open pretty quickly after starting. While I was able to answer maybe a fifth of the questions on sight, there were just too many little terms and details that I had forgotten over the years. Maybe I would have been fine with a multiple choice quiz, with selections that would spark my memory, but every part of the assignment Noelle had given to me required writing in the answers myself. I must have been quite the sight to Paige as she strutted into the kitchen. Sitting at the table, poring over a middle school textbook to find the answers I needed to complete the worksheet sitting in front of me. “Here you go, Miles,” she said. Managing to keep a straight face for the most part, save for the same idle smile she had upstairs, she walked over and set down a stack of clothes on the edge of the table. To justify her amused expression, Paige turned to Noelle and said, “Honestly, I’m impressed. None of the other babysitters were able to get Miley to work on her homework.” Noelle just shrugged. “Sometimes you just need a little negative reinforcement. What do you say to your sister, Miley?” ’Fuck this.’ Wanting nothing more than to stare down at the pages in front of me, or perhaps crawl into a hole to avoid the continuous embarrassment of being treated like this in my step-sister’s presence, I forced myself to get out the emotionless words. “Thanks, Paige.” “You’re very welcome, sis!” Paige chirped. Pushing her luck by patting me on the head like she had gotten away with numerous times before all this whenever she could catch me off guard with it, she said, “Now behave for Ms. Noelle, brat. This has been fun, but I have a game to get back to.” Fun? For a second, I was surprised she would say such a thing in Noelle’s presence. But then it dawned on me that Paige could very easily pull it off, considering she was my ‘older sister’ and finally seeing me disciplined properly after all the sitters failed to achieve something like this. Besides, our regular dynamic was evidence enough that sisters didn’t have to be particularly cordial to each other all the time. “Just ‘Noelle’ is fine,” the brunette said. She didn’t seem bothered by Paige’s casual smugness, but she at least made the effort to correct the name, “Thanks for the clothes, Paige. We’ll be here for a while.” “Sounds good,” Paige nodded, “Oh! I have a couple friends coming over in a bit. We’ll be in my room or the basement, so hopefully that won’t be an issue.” “Not a problem. I’m only here to watch Miley. Someone could have mentioned the sister thing, but that’s not your fault.” ‘Because Miley DOESN’T HAVE A SISTER.’ I tried to tell her as much earlier. “Sorry about that,” Paige replied, “Don’t worry, we’ll stay out of your way. We’ll probably order pizza or something, so the kitchen is all yours, too. I can order some for you and Miley, if you’d like.” Of course she was being nice to Noelle. That’s how Paige operated with pretty much every adult, whether it was sucking up to a teacher or painting herself as the older sister to Miley’s college-aged babysitter. I was way more concerned, however, with the fact that Paige’s friends would apparently be here to witness this. We had graduated, so it’s not like this humiliation would affect my reputation or anything, but I still didn’t want her and her obnoxious gamer friends teasing me about this for the rest of summer break. Paige said they’d stay out of our way, but I knew she would somehow arrange for them to see me trapped as ‘Miley.’ “I’ll think about it,” Noelle said, “Maybe if she’s good until then. Otherwise we’ll stick with something healthier.” I could feel another blush creeping up. They were back to talking about me while I was literally sitting right there, and Noelle was once again treating me like the difficult teenager she viewed me as. And, while I so badly wanted to speak up in my defense, it was yet another example of choosing my battles. For now, I’d have to suck it up and let Paige enjoy more of my situation. “Sounds good. I’ll check in when we think about ordering, then. And I’ll make sure my friends know to head right upstairs when they get here. No need to distract Miley, right?” “Right,” Noelle nodded. Without another look towards me, Paige sauntered off. Her body language alone was enough to show how content she was with how this was all playing out. To Noelle’s credit, she was a decent babysitter in terms of minimizing sister drama. She waited until Paige’s footsteps on the stairs and upstairs hallway had faded before speaking again. “Let’s take a small break,” she said. Gesturing towards the clothes I hadn’t had a chance to get a good look at aside from seeing a blue/white combo, Noelle told me, “You can get dressed now.” I doubted Paige had picked anything pleasant, but anything would be better than being stuck in a leotard when her friends arrived. So with an awkward, “Okay,” I got up and collected the outfit. Sure enough, Noelle felt the need to escort me to the bathroom. Apparently I had a long way to go before earning her trust. ------------------- Check out my website: www.ladyluciastories.com And my Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=73056590

Unconventional You fall off the spinning disk, giggling like an idiot on the floor, and dizzy as hell. Thirty something rotations! New record! You toss your hands up to the ceiling in celebration and your laughter redoubles in on itself when it hits you that you were actually pointing at the nearest wall. This is the best convention ever! Presently, you’re in the Nursery Playroom, where the littlest of the little ones like to play. That’s you right now. Definitely you. People are playing on rocking horses the size of thoroughbreds, riding around on tricycles that are far too big, and bouncing in walkers that could double as flying saucers. And nobody is hiding their diapers. Not fifteen minutes ago, you found yourself lying beneath a baby gym, in your t-shirt, and wet Alphagatorz, babbling to yourself and smacking around dangling jingly toys. And it felt so gosh darn, wonderfully normal! I belong here. I really belong here. I really do. That’s what you thought. Somehow, it finally feels like you’ve come home. Amazing! But your attention has never been steady at the best of times, so you drifted over to this sick sit and spin and went to town until you could barely stand up straight. A gurgle from your stomach reminds you that you’re not allowed to go full baby. No number two’s allowed in convention spaces. That bodily reminder snaps you right out of headspace. Shouldn’t have had those nachos last night. The spinning didn’t help either. One way or another, something is about to exit you, and it’s probably out the back. Oh well. Nothing to be done about it. Still dizzy, you stand up on unsteady legs; you’re legs locked while your torso wobbles. You already know what you’re going to do: Waddle to the bathroom, drop the kids off at the pool, wipe, and then come back and play. Minimum interruption! On second thought, maybe you’ll go back to your hotel room for a few minutes. Nothing about the rules says you can’t poop in there. It’d be more practical too, considering you’re already wet. Pooping in a toilet and then pulling up a wet Alphagatorz would feel…weird. You’re not in Pull-Ups, you’re a BABY! (That’s the headspace you’re looking for anyway). As the last of the dizziness recedes, something catches your eye. In the back corner of the play room is an adult sized changing table. Not a repurposed massage table like in the changing rooms, a full on changing table, hand crafted and painted to look just like something a baby might use. You pivot and face it. How long had that been there? You swear you cased the room and examined each and every piece of oversized baby furniture as if it were an art exhibit when you first came in. A wave of sadness washes over you and your knees bend slightly as you start to push. The feeling of your cheeks spreading makes you groan under your breath while you stare enviously at the prop. A prop. That’s all it is. The convention was also quite clear about public nudity. Your next sigh comes out as a grunt. Your feet are still planted, your knees bent more than before. It still hasn’t occurred to your body that you could walk and get a closer look. Attached to the side of the adult sized changing table are several little hooks. Each hook has a diaper bag hanging from it. The shelves beneath the top are likewise packed with diaper bags. It seems the littles who brought diaper bags for quick changes all stowed them there. You wished you’d have brought a diaper bag. Or someone to carry it for you. Another sigh escapes your top, while your bottom feels warmer and your belly feels better. To the right of the table is an unopened pack of Little Kings. Diaper bag be damned, someone just didn’t give a damn. To the left is what appears to be a large diaper genie. Wow. This place goes all out. Morbidly, you wonder if anyone has snuck a used diaper in there. Oh yeah! Used diaper! You shake the cobwebs out of your head and stop sighing wistfully of what you can’t have. Time to… It finally hits you. That grunting and pushing you’ve been quietly doing and the meaning behind it. You’ve been messing this whole time, and inertia and gravity is carrying the last of your mess out of you beyond your control. For the first time in decades, you’ve just pooped your pants. In public. Without realizing it. Your body tenses and you slap your thighs to keep from feeling the back of your diaper. You need to get out of here. Now. If you’re caught like this you’re sure to be banned! You quickly start telling lies to yourself: It’s okay. It’s okay. No problem. You just need to casually walk out of the play room, and find the nearest stairwell, then you’ll just go up five flights of stairs, take out the keycard in your lanyard, and slip into your hotel room for a change…maybe a shower too. Point is that as long as you don’t dawdle or get trapped in a confined space, no one will be the wiser. You pivot around to start walking towards the playroom entrance, quietly tensing with every step. You can feel the mess shifting around. You look down at the floor and stare at the carpet so as not to draw any attention with your uncomfortable facial expressions. This isn’t going to work. This isn’t going to work. You’re going to caught. Caught and banned. You raise your head a little so that you don’t bump into anyone and are forced to stop dead in your tracks. The double doors leading out into the wider convention area are now shut. You don’t remember them closing. Your speed doubles and you power walk to the door. Your heart leaps up into your throat when you grab the handle and find it locked. Why the fuck is it locked? “Oh honey!” A voice calls out. “What are you doing?” You turn around and press your back to the door. “Nothing!” You say instinctively while your mess presses against you more tightly. “Can I please get out?” Coming towards you, is a woman in white sneakers, blue jeans, and a hot pink t-shirt with the conventions name on it. Oh shit! (Poor choice of words!) A staff member! Something seems familiar about her too. Wasn’t she the receptionist at the front desk? You thought the hotel was a separate entity from the convention for purposes of play… “I’m sorry, sweetie, but you have to wait here,” she says. “Why?” you ask. She’s close. Too close. You wish you could just phase through this door, or sink into the center of the earth. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing’s wrong, baby,” she says soothingly. “Those are just the rules. You get to play here while all the grown-ups play out there.” If it weren’t for the crippling fear you’re currently experiencing, such talk would send you deep deep into headspace. “I need to go to my hotel room!” You yelp. “Awwww,” the stranger replies. “You’ll get to go back to your hotel room, eventually. Don’t worry. Do you want to lie down somewhere? I can make a space that’s nice and quiet for you?” This lady isn’t getting it. She is far too committed to the bit. “I need to go change!” You all but. scream. “Oh?” she says. “Let me see?” Quick and casual as anything she kneels down and squeezes between your legs. You’re too shocked to react while she examines your diaper and sticks her fingers past the leak guards. “Hmmm…you’re wet, but you’re not that wet.” She determines. “Why don’t you let the grown-ups decide whether you need changing?” She stands up and thumbs back over her shoulder. “Go play.” “But…but…but…I want to see the rest of the convention!” You have to get out of here. Noses are sniffing and time is ticking! The staff member waves your concern off. “You don’t want to go out there. It’s all boring grown-up stuff. Stay and play here until your Mommy or Daddy comes to pick you up.” The sincerity in her voice throws you off. “What?” “This is a grown-up convention, baby,” she says. “You’re at the convention daycare so that your Mommy or Daddy can go do their grown-up stuff and know that your’e safe.” Was that even a thing? Not the point. “I don’t have a Mommy and Daddy!” You’re single, but saying as much feels like a confession of a crime or an admission of guilt.” “Mmmhmm…” The lady nods, clearly not believing you. “I’m sure. You’re very big.” She drags you out away from the door and swats you on the butt. “Now go play.” You need to regroup. Need to get out and change. Need to avoid getting caught. Too late. “Hold it!” You feel your diaper being pulled back. You freeze and hold your breath. It wasn’t exactly fun while it lasted, but it’s over now. “Hmmmm….guess I was wrong. You do need to be changed.” Your jaw drops open. Her hand clamps down on your wrist, and before you know it you’re being dragged to the back corner. It’s all you can do to keep your feet moving. “Wait. Stop!” you try to say. “What are you doing?” “Changing you,” she says. “You need it!” “Here?” “Yup.”: “Everyone will see.” “It’s okay. No need to be shy. You’re just a baby.” All of your skin is tingling. “No I’m not!” “Okay, honey.” So in command of the situation is she, that she boosts you off the ground and onto the changing table in one fell swoop. Your mess mashes against your backside. “Then let’s change that big kid diaper. Lie down.” Your body lies down. There’s no disobeying. You try to sit up, but a hand on your chest is all that’s needed to keep you pinned while she roots around on the shelves beneath you. She stands back up and looks at your convention name tag dangling from your lanyard. “Rhonda?” she calls.Another woman in a similar uniform jogs up. You’re pretty sure you saw her vacuuming the hallway when you first checked into the hotel. “I can’t find this one’s diaper bag.” “What’s the name?” the other woman asks. Then they say your name. You’re real name. The name you introduce yourself by outside of the scene. You grip and grab at the nametag and read it. It’s your name. Picture too. The badge wasn’t like that before. You’re smiling in the picture. Your eyes look vacant. Rhonda rifles through the bag. “Hmm, I don’t see it either, Debbie” Debbie frowns. “Maybe Mom or Dad forgot to drop it off?” “Maybe,” Rhonda shrugs. “But that’s why we have the emergency spares.” “I’m sorry!” You babble. “There’s been a mistake. I won’t do it again. Please just stop!” Both strangers soften towards you. “Awwww, that’s not what we mean. You’re not in trouble, pumpkin. Your Mommy or Daddy just forgot to drop off your diaper bag.” Rhonda rips open the package of Little Kings. “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of you.” The tapes scritch scratch as your diaper is opened and your soaked genitals and messy bottom is exposed to everyone. You scream and babble while these strangers touch you in ways you haven’t been touched in a long time. “It’ll be alright.” “It’s just a diaper change.” “You’ll feel so much better when it’s over.” “Nothing to be embarrassed or shy about.” “You’ve had these all your life.” “Don’t you want to be a good baby so we can tell your Mommy or Daddy when they get back?” “Just a little more, and then you can go play. Promise.” The other convention goers, the other littles, don’t take much notice. They’re all trapped in their own world of blocks and bead mazes. Right as your bottom is finished being wiped, and the Alphagaztorz is being balled up and tossed away in the very real diaper genie by your feet, you see another little stop crawling and puff their cheeks out while the back of their diaper expands. The fresh new diaper is slid underneath you and a torrent of powder rains down on your back and front. The little you just witnessed shit themselves keeps crawling as if nothing happened. “There we go!” they chirp at you, finishing the change as quickly, efficiently, and sexlessly as one might an actually baby. “All done.” They help you off the changing table. “Go play.” You stumble about in a daze. The fresh diaper is too stiff. They always are at first, but usually you feel more connected to it because you’re the one who put it on. You’re not kicked out. They seem to think you’re a real baby. They know your real name. You don’t know what to do with this information. Just as importantly: Who’s going to pick you up at the end of the day?

Quickie historical quiz When Sarah reads the label on Ian's vinyl pants in the bathroom, the pants were manufactured by:: A. Comco B. Gary C. Playtex D. Suprima

PART FOUR “This is bullshit.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. The better play was to present myself as the more mature sister, which I easily was in comparison to Paige. I had better grades, was more sophisticated, and overall was just the more responsible girl. But she got under my skin so easily, and this was no exception. “Noelle, my sister thinks it’s funny to tease me about my size. The truth is, we’re the same age, and-” “Ha!” Noelle let out a single bark of laughter. She covered her mouth in an instant, no doubt to get herself back into at least some semblance of ‘serious babysitter’ mode. Still, an amused smile remained present when she lowered her hand and looked me over, “You know, I almost believed you when you said you were a different girl. But come on, Miley. How can you expect anyone to believe you’re as old as- Paige, was it?” “Mm hmm,” my sister hummed. There were traces of a smile on her own face, but for much different reasons. “You do realize I’m eighteen, don’t you, sis? Seriously. You’re not going to look even close to this mature for at least a few more years,” she said, gesturing to her body. “Maybe you could pull off ‘fifteen’ with a makeover and a major attitude adjustment, or . . . you could just act your own age, for once, instead of screwing with everybody?” “PAIGE.” I could not believe her. She knew how old Miley was, obviously, so she was just making me sound like the middle school girl Noelle was supposed to be in charge of by referencing what most of the neighborhood knew about the lying brat who lived a few doors down. And, unlike the usual instances where my ballet leotard made me look more youthful, there was no one else around to help with the misunderstanding. “Stop! I’m not-” “That’s enough, Miley.” Neolle’s sharp tone was even more biting than her scoffing laugh, and she took a step towards me. “You’ve tried enough of my patience. This is your first and last warning–are you going to behave, or do you want to find out why your parents hired me?” “I’m not Miley! I’m ALYSSA.” Unfortunately, Miley’s babysitter was blocking the path out of Paige’s room. If I could just get back to my own space, get my driver’s license . . . However, I distinctly remembered Noelle making a point to say she wouldn’t mind chasing. If she really did think I was Miley, would she pursue me if it seemed like I was merely trying to run away? Because my license was in my clutch, nestled in an inner pocket of my backpack. It would take a minute to retrieve. “Just-” Pausing to take a heavy breath, and having enough clarity through my frustration to take the more mature and diplomatic approach, I looked Noelle dead in the eyes. “I can prove it. In my room.” With a sigh of her own, Noelle calmly asked, “What’s your name?” Of all the- Resisting the urge to groan, I repeated myself. “Alyssa.” Noelle glanced towards my sister. “I’m sorry to be doing this in your room,” she said, “You may leave, if you wish. I imagine this won’t take long.” Then, out of nowhere, she lunged forward and grabbed my ear. The flicker of shock was nothing compared to the unexpected pain and pressure that came as she began dragging me by such a sensitive part of my body. Wincing and stumbling forward to avoid the feeling getting worse, I found her other hand gripping my arm and slightly digging her nails into my skin as a secondary measure to get me moving. “Ow! OW.” I yelped and cried as I more or less had no choice but to let the girl manhandle me; any bit of resistance seemed to cause more in both spots. “Noelle!!!” I shrieked, simultaneously horrified and stunned that I was being treated in such a way. “Oh my God! Noelle, STOP.” And then we were falling. Both of us. For a second, I thought it was because my squirming had somehow knocked her off balance. I braced myself for a rough landing; the light carpet in Paige’s room wouldn’t do much to soften a fall onto the otherwise hardwood floor. Instead, we landed on my sister’s bed. Well, that’s where Noelle ended up. I, on the other hand, fell right onto her lap into a position she had no doubt aimed for. Gasping as I realized what she planned on doing to me, I immediately scrambled to get off her legs, only to be scooped back into place by one of her hands and set into an even more vulnerable spot the second time around as she adjusted both of us on the bed. “Miley, you’ve used up all of your warnings. Both with your parents, and with me.” While one strong arm firmly held me in place despite my efforts to get away, her other hand yanked upwards on the lower half of my leotard. “Noelle, don’t!!” I begged. This was not happening to me! Eyes widening as the leotard dug into my backside and simultaneously shifted uncomfortably against my most private area, my mind began racing. I was eighteen years old!! Way too old to be spanked. Especially by a girl practically my age. And for this to transpire while Paige got a front row seat to the whole thing? I would never, EVER live this down. “What’s your name?” Noelle growled. In response to another round of my struggling, she hoisted me back into position on her legs and hugged me against her torso. She wedgied the fabric hard enough that I could feel it more or less disappear between my cheeks, could feel the hint of Paige’s bedroom air on my all but bare ass. I couldn’t give into the intimidation. Lying would only make this all worse. “I’m Alyssa!” I insisted. A high school graduate. Not some notorious troublemaking tween. “Wrong answer.” Noelle said. And then her hand cracked down onto my backside. ------------------- Check out my website: www.ladyluciastories.com And my Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=73056590

Chapter 24: Bite Size Trials Thief in Service - by LittleFallenPrincess I awoke, feeling more refreshed than ever. Opening my eyes, I saw that I was back in the nursery. I was lay inside the large crib, with the sides pulled up. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the mechanism was on the outside of the crib so it could be difficult to get myself out of this. But before I could even sit up, I heard the door open and Miss Carver walk in. “I heard you stirring. So I came in to check on you. Did you sleep well?” Miss Carver asked. “I... wait... you drugged me!” “I did tell you there was something in it...” “Whatever it was... that was the best, most relaxing sleep I’ve had in years!” “Told you. Now, are you ready to start work?” Normally I’d have groaned and whined, tossed and turned, basically thrown a big tantrum until I ended up staying in bed. But whatever she had used to help me sleep, it made me feel more rested than ever. I was sat up in a matter of seconds, peeking over the side of the large crib I had been put in. “What’s with the... umm... you know...” I tried asking, but it was still difficult to talk about all this stuff. “We didn’t get enough time to show you your room, so I thought I’d just pop you in your nursery for your nap.” I started blushing as she walked over and pulled the side of the crib down, reaching in and lifting me up. “Oh dear, someone’s a soggy little princess! Don’t worry, the sleepy medication does that. It’ll wear off in another hour.” As she squished the outside of my wet... ‘thing’... I blushed and found myself quickly burying my face into her shoulder. “Come on then sweetpea, let’s go get you dressed for work, shall we? I need to open up very soon.” “What... what time do you usually open?” I asked. “Morning usually, but with you being here, I made an exception. Don’t worry though, the shop doesn’t get very busy. No one is going to care that I opened up in the afternoon rather than the morning.” “W...” “What is it sweetie?” She asked as she carried me over to the changing table. “Why do you have your shop if you’re so wealthy and have a security firm?” “I like running it. It gives me something to do during the day, I like interacting with customers and I enjoy buying and selling rare books and interesting antiques.” She smiled at me as she changed my wet nappy. “I was going to ask... is it just a book store or what? I saw the statues and artwork you’ve got stored.” “It’s mostly a book store. But I don’t limit myself to just books.” “Why books? What made you want to open a book store?” “Because I enjoy reading. I enjoy learning more about the world, about people, about everything. And I love a good story. Do you like to read?” “I... haven’t read in years. Not since school really.” “Oh sweetie... then whilst we’re downstairs we’re going to find two books, okay? One for you to read in your spare time, and one for me to read to you in the evenings.” For some reason, despite never really being interested in books or novels or anything, I loved the thought of her reading to me. “And before you ask, I still run the security firm. But I’m a lot more hands off these days. I’ll occasionally have to go in. Anyway, why don’t we get you dressed for working?” “Already? It feels like we’ve barely had any time in...” ‘My baby outfit and this nappy. Say it Paige. Say it.’ “You already don’t want to get out of your little outfit. That’s adorable. Sorry sweetpea, the plan is to give you little bite size trials of each role that you’ll be playing with me. That way you can decide if you want to proceed with this arrangement or not.” “Hmph. Fine.” I pouted. She looked at me as though her heart was melting, but quickly shook her head and glared at me intensely. Suddenly the Mummy in her seemed to disappear in an instant, and instead, stood before me, was ‘Miss Carver’ again, the scary dominatrix who made me weak at the knees with a single glance. “No pouting. Otherwise I’ll make sure your time at work is... uncomfortable.” I gulped as she helped me up and escorted me back to the doll’s room to get changed. ‘When did she finish changing me...? Wait... I’m not wearing a nappy... This woman is a ninja!’ ------------------------------------------------- I stood there, on the shop floor, beads of sweat manifesting on my forehead, anxious as to what this afternoon would bring. “Just help people find things, look pretty, and serve customers. If you have any issues or problems, just come find me. Okay?” Miss Carver instructed. “Yes...” “That’s Miss Carver whilst we’re at work sweetie...” All that was needed was a stern look from her... just like the one she was giving me right now. “Yes, Miss Carver.” I corrected myself quickly. “Good girl. Good job washing the maid’s uniform, it looks good on you.” I blushed, trying to pull the hem of the dress down so it showed less skin. I mean, sure, I was fortunate that it didn’t reveal the silk lace panties that Miss Carver had picked out specifically for me to wear for work, but if I bend over too far there is a good chance it may. Flipping the sign on the door, Miss Carver walked over to the counter where the till was and began reading, so I went about my first task... dusting and cleaning the shelves. “Oh and whilst you’re at it, another job for you is to pick out those two books. You remember right? One for personal reading, and one for me to read to you. Your choice.” So as I cleaned the shelves, I thought carefully about what books I should pick. Sure, she said they were my choice, but if I was to impress her more, I’d have to pick something that would get me on her good side. ------------------------------------------------- It was about 20 minutes since we opened that we received our first customer. Miss Carver wasn’t lying, it wasn’t a very busy store at all, but then again it’s not a bookshop chain or a well advertised store that stocked the latest bestsellers. The people who shopped here must be people looking for specific rare books; so mostly specialists and avid readers. The bells above the door rang and I quickly hid behind a bookshelf, peeking out over the top to get a glimpse of the customer. “Ah, Miss Carver!” The woman said with a very posh accent, in a way that indicated that she was familiar with her and this shop. “Lady Barnett. Good to see you again. It’s been a while.” Miss Carver responded, putting her book down to greet the large lady wearing a rather expensive looking fur coat and heels. “It has! How are you doing?” “I’m okay, yourself?” “Grand.” “So what can I do for you today, Lady Barnett? I have a copy of ‘Realms of the Shadows’ somewhere I think.” Miss Carver smiled at her. “It’s like you read my mind, Miss Carver! I was hoping you’d have something suitable for me, and it turns out you’ve already procured it! Just like always!” “I knew one of my best customers would be back for another book of the arcane, so I made sure to find one of the best. Took me a while, but it should be on one of the shelves. Let me just find Paige...” Miss Carver looked around the store and locked eyes on me, wagging her finger at me, indicating for me to come over. “Paige? Oh have you got another temporary assistant?” Lady Barnett asked with a smile on her face. “I’m hoping she’ll be a bit more of a permanent fixture here.” Miss Carver replied, smiling at me. “Oh I do love when you have assistants. In their cute little outfits. Is she...?” I crept over slowly, standing in front of the two intimidating women. “Oh she’s as cute as a button! I can see why you want her to stay!” The Lady looked at me and practically squealed. I blushed instantly, looking at Miss Carver for instructions so I could get out of this situation. “Will you please find a copy of ‘Realms of the Shadows’ please? It should be in the mythological section. I nodded and walked off, but I kept my focus on the conversation as I found the correct section. “I don’t know why you keep my favourite books in the mythological section. They’re not myths you know!” Lady Barnett whined. “Sorry, I’m just not a believer of magic and the arcane.” Miss Carver shrugged her shoulders and pulled that awkward face people pulled when they didn’t want to offend someone. “Well at least you’ll entertain an old woman like me with my beliefs. So you’re not all bad.” Lady Barnett laughed. I quickly found the book and returned, handing it to Miss Carver. Smiling awkwardly, I rushed away as quickly as possible, before they could say anything else about me. Lady Barnett purchased the book and left. Miss Carver went back to her reading, but I occasionally caught her diverting her attention to me whenever I was reaching up high or bending over, so I made an effort to do it more often. I couldn’t believe what a tease I was becoming around her. ------------------------------------------------- The rest of the afternoon was completely dead. No more customers entered, I organised books and cleaned every single shelf. I worked harder than I’ve ever worked in my life... but then I suppose this is the first proper job I’ve ever had. If you’d even call it a proper job. “I want you to go get out of that outfit and find an outfit from the wardrobe in your bedroom.” Miss Carver ordered. “You... bought me clothes?” I asked. “I worked out your sizes and bought you some things I thought you’d like. Once you’re dressed, I want you to meet me in my study. Make sure to knock.” She spoke so... devoid of empathy. Like she was taking the domme role to the extreme. Which was a shock to me as earlier on I had experienced someone so warm, kind and loving, when she was Mummy. But since then, it’s like she’s withdrawn and created a shield around her. So I nodded and walked out, up the stairs to the third floor. ------------------------------------------------- “Time to see what this room is like...” I said as I opened the door to what was supposed to be the room I was ‘renting’. I must have died and gone to Heaven. This... room... was larger than my whole apartment. And calling it a room is an understatement. This was basically a whole apartment, with multiple rooms splitting off from the main room. First there was a kitchen branching off from the entrance, then a bathroom, a bedroom, a living room... this place had everything. And in contrast to my grungy, dirty, broken down apartment, this apartment was full of furniture that looked brand new. From the sofa... to the ridiculously large TV... everything was spotless and untouched. I couldn’t believe it. This... this was mine. Provided I agreed to be her sub. Not that it would be like I was being paid to be her sub, this was more like... an added bonus in my opinion. “Oh shit, yeah, I need to get changed!” I said as I rushed into the large closet in the bedroom. This closet was very different to the doll room one and Miss Carver’s bedroom. This... was mostly empty. Whilst it was as large as the others, and looked identical in design... it held about five outfits, all of which looked similar to stuff I’d normally wear. Well... all but one. One was a cute white dress that was somewhat between formal and casual. Smart enough to wear somewhere fancy, but casual enough that I wouldn’t be stared at for being overdressed. Opting for one of the pairs of jeans and a black tee, I quickly changed out of the uniform, making sure to carefully place it on the bed. I grabbed some basic underwear too, as I still wasn’t used to the fancy lace stuff she had picked out for me. Wrapping a flannel shirt around my waist by the sleeves, I closed the closet doors and headed out of my new apartment, walking down the hall to the office where Miss Carver was waiting for me. I knocked. Not too loudly, but not too quietly. I wasn’t sure why she was being so distant all of a sudden, so I was making sure not to make things worse. “Come in.” I heard from the other side of the door. Quickly entering, shutting the door behind me, I saw Miss Carver sat down behind her desk. Pointing at the chair in front of us both, she instructed me to sit down. Sitting down, I closed my legs together and put my hands on my knees, looking at the floor the whole time, too nervous to look up. “So... Paige...” She started. “Yes, Miss Carver?” “How was today?” “I...” “Be honest with me.” “I... enjoyed it.” I still couldn’t believe I was admitting all this and embracing it all so quickly. It all felt natural to me, so I suppose that helped. “Every part of it?” “I...” “Speak up.” “I... don’t like when you’re this... mean.” I must have pressed a nerve or something, she looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. “Sorry. But... other than that... have you enjoyed your first day? Is this something you’d like to pursue full time?” “...Yes Miss.” “You’re willing to work for me, be my submissive, my little, everything?” “Yes Miss.” “And you’re willing to take the apartment I am offering you, as well as a generous paycheck for working in the shop for me?” “Yes Miss.” She took a second, looking me up and down. “I... think I’m willing to give this a chance. Do you have any questions or comments?” I don’t know what it was in me, I don’t know what spurred me to speak up, to try this very risky strategy. But before my brain could catch up with me, I blurted out something I was already feeling I was going to regret. “I HAVE A COUNTER OFFER!” I shouted, not realising my tone or volume. Miss Carver placed her hands on her crossed legs and looked at me, silently judging me. The next fifteen seconds were the most excruciatingly uncomfortable fifteen seconds of my life. And I’ve had to listen to Jack talk for like an hour about that toxic video game he plays. The clock ticked every second, and every tick made me feel more and more anxious... more and more like I had fucked up. “Go on then...” Miss Carver finally spoke up. “What’s this offer...?” “I... I... agree to being your sub. Your little. All that. I’ll work in the shop. Everything is fine. But I want one thing extra. I get that one thing and I’m all yours.” “...and that would be?” She asked, her eyebrow raising. I gulped, nervously trying to keep my legs from shaking. “I WANT A DATE WITH YOU!” ========================================================== I hope everyone enjoys this story as it goes on! 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 next 4 chapters are available on my Patreon, which can be found here if you go for the second tier. You get 4 chapters early access to chapters of Thief in Service. New chapters of Thief in Service every Monday/Wednesday/Friday! 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! ? Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! ? Thank you so much! Nothing else... ...Except for the side effects... maybe. That would be eeeeeeeevil! ? Most of this story is about Paige and Alex's relationship, and all the struggles they face to get to where we know they end up, and the difficulty with the relationship. It's not so much focusing on a 'big bad' like my other stories, but yes, there may be that kind of conflict too. But it's not the main focus of this story. I really enjoyed writing the parts where the characters are vulnerable, their weaknesses and them opening up about them. Tony is suspect no.1 for 'big bad' of this. Could I be that obvious? But yeah, as I said, the focus for this story was the relationship between the two, and the difficulties they face in opening up to each other, rather than a big bad. Oh I love classroom stuff. I went to a kink event that had a little quiz and people got spanked for wrong answers and it was so much fun. I'd love to explore that a lot more! Maintenance and adjustment spankings should be a requirement

Chapter 18: Opening Up Thief in Service - by LittleFallenPrincess It was a messy process, but I managed to get the outfit on. Getting a latex cat suit on was difficult by myself, especially with what little help I had from stuff in my bathroom. After a quick internet search, I found a few options but I didn’t have any lube so I instead opted for talcum powder. I had a bottle stashed somewhere in the back of my bathroom cabinet. I would have hated to have tried to get this on without powder or anything, because oh my god, it was a nightmare. ‘How on Earth did they get me in this whilst I was unconscious?’ I thought to myself as I was getting dressed. But here I stood, in front of my mirror, dressed head to toe in latex. Well, not quite head, as whilst Miss Carver threatened me with the mask, I never actually saw it and never brought it back with me. So it was very much from the neck down. Admiring my curves in this cat suit, I couldn’t help but feel... sexy. I actually felt positive about my appearance, which was rare for me. So I made the most out of this feeling, spending a good twenty minutes or so just looking at myself in the mirror. As I posed for myself in the mirror, feeling good about myself for a change, I was hit with a sudden sadness. A sadness that pierced my heart and slowly spread across my body until that’s all I felt. “Why... why do I feel so crap all of a sudden?” I stared at the suit, then at the maid uniform that was lay out on my bed... then I thought of her. As soon as I thought of her, the pain in my heart grew tenfold. It went from a lingering sadness to a sudden, sharp pain. The same kind of pain when you lose someone. “I... no. I’m just being silly.” I shook my head about, trying to clear my mind, because that’s totally how you do it and I wasn’t being silly at all... ...When my phone lit up, indicating I had a message. Mimi: Hey Paige. You okay? Hope you’re okay. All packed? Where you going? Worried about you. Let me know! I stood there for a minute, trying to decide what to do. It was like I was being torn in all different directions. ‘Freedom... beaches... getting away from everything... Naomi... Miss Carver.’ I picked up my phone and replied to Naomi. Paige: Mimi... can I see you tomorrow? Maybe another shopping trip? Mimi: I mean... sure! You okay? Paige: I’m okay. I just... Mimi: Need to talk? Paige: Maybe tomorrow. Mimi: Okay, but you know I’m always here for you if you need me. Paige: I know. Thanks Mimi. Love you. See you tomorrow at midday in the shopping centre nearest me? Mimi: Love you too, see you then! Throwing my phone onto the bed softly, I carefully took the outfit off and placed it back in the bag with the Maid’s uniform. ‘There’s no rush. I haven’t told my landlord yet. I can wait another day. Maybe Mimi can help me sort my thoughts out...’ Collapsing onto the bed, I grabbed my bunny, Flopsy, and snuggled her tight, as I thought about everything. As I thought about... her. -----------------------The Next Day-------------------------- “Ready for our fun filled shopping trip?” Naomi said, gripping my hand excitedly. “...Sure.” I smiled and rolled my eyes. “Hey, you suggested it.” “I know... I... just... let’s go.” Naomi led me into the shopping centre, and as I expected, straight towards the clothes stores. As we were looking through dresses, Naomi would often hold up a dress against herself, asking for my opinion. And every time, I reminded her that I’m not the best when it comes to opinions about fashion. So in retaliation I guess, she started holding dresses up against me, trying to find something that I could wear instead. “So what’s on your mind, Paige? I’ve never seen you like this.” She asked. “I... I don’t know. I was all packed last night, all excited to be leaving... and then... a sudden pain knocked me on my arse and I was all out of sorts.” “That’s not like you... What’s on your mind?” “I don’t know... I mean I don’t know where to go firstly...” “You wanted beaches, right? So how about France? Or Spain? Or Italy?” “I thought that. But then the pain got worse.” “What else were you thinking of at the time?” I was a bit hesitant to mention it. I didn’t know what she’d say or how she’d react, but I knew I needed to get my thoughts out there, I needed a second opinion. “I... Miss Carver.” I muttered quietly. “Wait, you mean the woman you literally just robbed?” Naomi raised her voice, but after realising what she was saying, quickly lowered it. “Thieved. Robbery involves force.” I corrected her. “Whatever. Wait, you really do like her, don’t you?” “I... umm...” “You do! I can see your cheeks turning red! You really do like her!” “What if I do? It’s not like I can go up to her and say ‘Hey, sorry I stole from you, even if I technically got given it at the end, can I take you out on a date?’” “Yeah, I see your point.” Mimi held another dress up against me, somehow managing to multitask. I was struggling just keeping my thoughts straight, yet here she was acting as therapist and stylist at the same time. “I... look, something about her just makes my knees go weak and my tummy flutter, as if butterflies were let loose in there. Her face makes my heart happy, her smile makes me melt, her scent makes me fall for her even more...” “Paige... I’ve known you for a long time. And you’ve never talked about anyone like you do her. You’ve never talked about feeling this way.” “I haven’t?” I asked, surprised. “No. So obviously she’s either something really special... or she’s got you under some kind of spell. And I don’t think magic is real, so it must be the former.” “I... but what do I do then?” “Well if you hadn’t just robbed... sorry, stolen from her, I’d say ask her out on a date. But... ugh, this is awkward.” Naomi rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. I can’t stop thinking about her.” “Well maybe you can find someone else somewhere else? I’m sure you’ll find a confident, rich woman in any other country. And despite what you think, you’re hot. All you need is to get you some good clothes, so let’s pick something nice for you to wear to attract some rich wealthy woman when you do go...” “I suppose.” Letting Naomi dress me up in a rather large number of outfits, I felt some satisfaction in being her dress up doll for the afternoon, but then that just made me think back to the doll room, which made me think back to Miss Carver... “Come on, let’s get some lunch, shall we?” Mimi suggested, grabbing my hand and leading me over to the checkout counter to buy whatever she had picked out for me. I was too out of it to notice what she had picked. ------------------------------------------------- “You’ve barely touched your fries...” Mimi groaned at me. “Not hungry.” I said, lifelessly. “Paige, are you okay? You’re really off. Was it something I said?” “No. Just... nevermind.” “Look, if you really like this woman, maybe you should try before you leave. If she doesn’t want you, then you get your answer and you leave, satisfied that you tried at least. If she does end up forgiving you for trying to steal from her three times... then hey, you’ll finally have a relationship.” “I... I don’t know.” “Paige. Listen to me. You put things off, you’ve had your life on hold thanks to Tony for way too long, and now you’ve gained your freedom... you’re stuck, wallowing about because of some woman. Either ask her out, or find someone else. You’re free now, you can do what you want. You can go where you want. I’d hate for you to stay in your current situation and do nothing with your hard earned freedom.” “I guess.” “You need to do something. Something dramatic, something for you...” That’s when it hit me. The idea that solved it all. I knew it was stupid, and Naomi would happily tell me so, so I kept it myself, happy in the knowledge that I finally had a plan, no matter how stupid it was. “What’s up?” She asked, suspiciously. “Nothing. I have to go. I... have an idea.” “What is it?” She gave me that look, the one she always has when she knows I’m up to something. “Can’t say. I’ll... I’ll text you soon. Thanks for today!” I grabbed my bag full of clothes that Mimi had picked out for me, reached over and kissed her on the cheek. “Umm... Well whatever it is... good luck!” she said, taking a chip and eating it. Rushing through the shopping centre, I hailed a cab as I reached the exit, and dove into the back seat. Telling the address to the cabby, I took deep breaths, trying to get my breath back after the sudden exercise. “You alright, love?” the cab driver asked, as he started driving away from the shopping centre. “Yeah. Just... in a bit of a rush.” I replied. “Where you off to?” he asked. “I’ve got plans tonight, need to get home and get ready.” “That sounds nice.” “Yeah.” Thankfully, after the initial conversation, the cab ride home was silent until we got to my apartment. Paying the fare, I hopped out with my bags and rushed into my apartment, grabbed my post and ran upstairs, dropping the bags off on my bed and grabbing my laptop as well as a pen and some paper. Collapsing on the sofa, I perched on the edge of it, hunched over my laptop. I had a few hours to work on this plan, grab some food, and then prepare my stuff. Looking over at my mail, I noticed something was larger than my usual letters. It was a small package. “Shit. Are they...?” I said, taking the package and squeezing it gently. “It’s soft... it must be... do I?” Carefully ripping the package open, I held the contents on my lap and stared at them. It was a nappy. A sample I had bought from some online store. It had a babyish print on the front, whilst the rest of it was just white. The thickness really stood out to me. I didn’t have any siblings, so I hadn’t really spent that much time around babies, so I had no knowledge as to how thick they were supposed to be, but even sized up for an adult, this seemed unusually thick. Unfolding it, so it was spread out, it seemed massive. “Do... do I?” Putting my laptop down, I took this unusual garment to my bedroom, grabbing the powder from my bathroom on the way. “Umm... so how do I do this?” I said, placing the large nappy on my bed. “Tapes up there, I suppose...” Positioning it so it seemed right, I stripped my pants off as well as my underwear and stood in front of the thick padding, nervous about laying down on it. “I... I can’t believe I’m going to do this. After all the threats about the other dimension...” Laying down, I instantly felt the softness and thickness of the nappy on my rear. It felt like sitting on a small pillow, it was so thick. “So far, so good.” I continued to convince myself, trying not to let me talk myself out of it. Sprinkling some powder on the front of my most intimate area, I felt... small. It was a weird feeling, something I hadn’t really felt before. At least not on this scale. Pulling the front up, I carefully positioned the tabs and placed them down, securing myself in this babyish garment. “I... this... this is weird...” I stood up, my legs bowing slightly from the thickness. “...but not bad...” Placing a hand on the thick padding, I started exploring, seeing how it fit me and seeing exactly how thick this thing was. I must have lost myself in the moment, because I quickly found myself in front of my mirror, admiring myself wearing the giant nappy. “I... I look... cute?” I admitted to myself, looking at my padded butt. Sticking my thumb in my mouth, I tried to make light of the moment by joking around. “Goo goo ga ga... I need my Mummy...” I said from behind my thumb, giggling a bit. But what scared me was the fact that a part of me... a part of me actually enjoyed saying that. So I quickly took the nappy off, nervous as to what this sudden revelation meant, and got back to my original plan. ------------------------------------------------- Spending hours working on this plan, I had sheets full of notes and ideas and doodles. With about umpteen different tabs open with numerous images of her building that we had taken, I had a good idea about what I was doing. Grabbing some food from the kebab place down the road, I continued working into the night, until it was time to get ready. Slipping on my boots, my black pants and top, and tying my hair back, I checked my bag and my pockets to make sure I had everything ready and at hand. “I need this to work. Maybe it’ll fuck up. Maybe it’ll fuck everything up... But I have to. I can’t ignore this feeling.” I said to myself. If this all went according to plan, she’d appreciate the gesture... hopefully. Maybe it was me being stupid, maybe this was me being crazy and letting this crush take over my sensible thoughts... but what she said that first time I met her... that she always wanted someone’s story to be good whenever they broke in... Well I was going to give her the story of a lifetime. I planned my route into the building, trying to figure out where she would be and what I’d need to get the job done. I planned the most elaborate heist I’ve ever done. I mean, sure... I can’t plan as well as Jack and Christian can. I’m very much the boots-on-the-ground type of girl. I prefer to be the one actually stealing, rather than the one planning. That’s not to say I can’t do this... I’m just not as good as Jack or Christian. But this plan... this plan, if it all went right, would impress her. Hopefully. Not that it was an actual heist. I wasn’t planning on stealing anything. I was more planning on... putting something back. Well, not back... but... look I had a plan to put a cute note in the place of the statue I took, then see if she appreciates it enough to fall head over heels in love with me. Romantic? Yes. Stupid? Hell yes. Idiotic? Probably. Going to fail? No doubt. But hey, I was feeling confident and for the first time in a week, I’ve felt focused. My sensible brain was on vacation right now, but I didn’t care. I knew what I wanted, and I’d get it, no matter what it took. ========================================================== I hope everyone enjoys this story as it goes on! 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 next 4 chapters are available on my Patreon, which can be found here if you go for the second tier. You get two weeks early access to chapters of Glitch in Nanny and Thief in Service. New chapters of Thief in Service every Monday/Wednesday/Friday! Glitch in Nanny on Monday/Friday! 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! ? Also, from today, I am increasing the number of chapters I post of this story to 3 per week to make up for having no second ongoing story for a while (Glitch has finished on Patreon, and will finish next week on here). I'm currently on chapter 10 of book 5, but I can't start posting any of it until this has finished completely, so for a while, it'll just be 3 chapters per week of one story (once Glitch finishes on here). So from today, the chapter schedule for Thief in Service will be Monday/Wednesday/Friday (Unless this changes). Don't worry, Glitch is still having its final few chapters posted today, Friday and next Monday.

Chapter 17: Freedom Thief in Service - by LittleFallenPrincess “So let me get this straight...” Christian stared at me, holding his chin with his hand. “You got caught... again... and then had to dress like this, only for her to let you have the statue for free and let you go without any other punishment?” “Umm... yeah.” I said, the rest of the crew staring at me, as I was still wearing the latex outfit. “I mean... what a kinky bitch! Look at you, you look like you’re some sort of gimp or something!” Christian laughed. ‘Not a gimp. That’s different. Not that you’d ever understand. Fucking vanilla.’ I couldn’t believe I had just thought that. I had heard of the term whilst searching online, researching all those kinks Miss Carver has, but I never would have applied it to someone, talking as if I’m not vanilla... “Look, she did it. Just be glad. She’s out, and you get paid.” Mimi tried sticking up for me. “I know, but who would have thought that woman was such a freak?” Jack joked from his desk. A surge of rage filled my body and it took every ounce of self control not to run over and smash Jack’s face into his keyboard. “I know, right?” Emily continued the cruelty. “Look at Paige here, she looks like one of those fetish weirdos. Paige, why don’t you go take it off?” “I... okay.” I knew it was for the best. If I stuck around, they’d continue making fun of not only Miss Carver, but also... well... I guess I could be included in that group of ‘weirdos’ they were making fun of. Because something about this outfit, something about everything I’ve worn for Miss Carver so far, every one of those kinks she’s into... they all interested me in some way. I wasn’t sure if I was into them properly, but they definitely did something to me inside, made me feel things I had never felt before. I walked out, sulking, trying to block out the continued jokes and jabs from my crew. ‘Soon to be ex-crew. Thank fuck.’ Mimi followed close behind as I walked into the side room we used to change clothes in. “Paige...” she sounded concerned. “Just drop it Naomi.” I snapped back. “I... I saw the way you looked when they made fun of not only her, but those outfits and fetishes...” “Just drop it. I... I’m heading home once I’m changed. I’ll see you tomorrow for the last time.” “Okay. Wait... last time? I mean last time with the crew, sure. But what about our friendship?” Naomi looked hurt. “I... I just need some time to myself. Sorry. But no, you’re right, I don’t mean our friendship. I’ll talk to you tomorrow Mimi.” I gave her a weak smile, with her looking less disappointed as she left. ‘Fucking great. Now I’ve pissed off the only friend I have in this world.’ Taking off the latex suit, with great difficulty I might add, I eventually got changed into the clothes I had left here, the ones I was wearing before I changed into the party dress. Stuffing the latex outfit into my bag, I slung it over my shoulder and headed out. But before I could leave, Christian stopped me by the exit. “What?” I growled at him. “I don’t know what’s got your rubber panties in a twist, but don’t forget the handoff tomorrow. I’ve texted Tony. We’re meeting at midday at a cafe. Be here at eleven. And don’t be late; you don’t want to fuck up again just before you’re free.” “Don’t worry, after tomorrow you won’t have to deal with me.” “I hope not. Now go, calm the fuck down, and I hope you’re in a friendlier mood tomorrow, otherwise Tony may suddenly change his mind.” “Yeah whatever.” I said, pushing my way past Christian, leaving the building. ------------------------------------------------- I wasn’t sure what time it was, my phone was dead and I never checked the time before I left the hideout. It must have been some time after midnight, as the streets were mostly barren. ‘At least I don’t have to deal with drunken idiots. Just get home and get snuggled up, Paige.’ I told myself. Thankfully the weather wasn’t bad tonight, though it wasn’t exactly nice. So whilst it was cold, I counted my blessings that it wasn’t raining too. Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to stay as warm as possible with my jacket. The wind sent a chill through me, and my hair was a tangled mess caught up in the gusts that blew directly at me. After a long walk, I eventually reached my apartment. ‘Thank fuck. Home.’ Climbing into the back window, I settled down for the evening, watching a bit of TV to try and distract me. But every now and again I’d find myself staring at the bag that held the latex outfit. ‘No. Leave it, Paige.’ Resisting the urge, I eventually tired myself out enough to get some sleep. ‘Not long now. Then I’m free. And I’m out of this shithole.’ ------------------------------------------------- It was a rocky start to the day. First I woke up later than planned, but thankfully not too late. I made it in time, but I was rushing around trying to get ready. My hair wasn’t brushed, my outfit was the exact same outfit I was wearing yesterday, and I had to get a cab, but I made it to the cafe on time. “You’re... on time!” Christian said, somewhat surprised. “Yeah. Very nearly wasn’t.” I commented. “Thought so. Doesn’t matter. I’ve got the statue. You keep your mouth shut, and when he talks to you be friendly. Don’t antagonise him, otherwise he may add on to your debt. You’re nearly free, and I’m nearly free of you. Don’t fuck this up.” “Don’t worry, I won’t.” At that moment, a large figure stood in front of us on the other side of the table. ‘Tony...’ “Good afternoon.” He said, politely greeting us. Christian and I nodded as Tony sat down. “So I believe you have something for me. I’m surprised you managed to obtain it so early, let alone obtain it at all...” ‘I knew he picked something difficult...’ “It’s here...” Christian slid the case under the table. Tony checked the contents discreetly and smiled. “As I said, I never thought you’d manage to find this, or even obtain it. So good job. This will make my contacts very happy. Here’s your payment...” He slid a case over to Christian, who discreetly checked the contents. “Thanks, Tony. Pleasure doing business with you.” Tony looked like he was about to stand up and leave, so I sat up and coughed loudly to get his attention. “Tony?” I raised my voice slightly. Settling back down, he stared at me. “Yes, Paige?” He looked at me, his cold, dead eyes staring into mine. “Isn’t there something we’re forgetting?” “Fine. You want your debt cancelled, right? You want your freedom?” “Please. You said it was part of the job. You wouldn’t go back on a promise... would you?” I grinned. “...No. Fine, your debt to me is written off. You owe me nothing. You’re no longer under my employ. Enjoy your freedom, Paige. Make sure you don’t get yourself indebted to anyone else... or worse, in jail. Because you know what will happen if you do...” “Yeah, somehow I’ll end up owing you and I’ll never be free. Don’t worry. I’m out of the thieving game. I’m done. I’m getting out of here and you never have to think about me again.” “I hope not. But if you change your mind, I have a few difficult jobs that I think you...” “Nope.” I cut him off sternly. “Fair enough. Well it was lovely to see you. Enjoy your money, and Paige? Enjoy your freedom.” He stood up, grabbing the case and fixing his coat. “...for now.” I stared at Christian as Tony walked away and out of sight. “Well that was a little unsettling.” Christian commented, breaking the awkward silence Tony had left behind. “I agree.” I couldn’t believe today was the day that I would actually agree with him, but hey, miracles can happen! “Anyway, let’s get back to the hideout, get this payment split up, then you can grab your tools and leave. No doubt you’ll want to get packing. Where you planning on going?” “No idea. Maybe somewhere nice and sunny? With beaches. Just... anywhere but here.” “I don’t blame you. Anyway, I need to take care of a couple of things before I meet you there. I’ll see you soon.” Christian got up and walked off with the money. He’s lucky I know he has some morals, he wouldn’t run off with our money, so I grabbed my jacket and headed back towards the hideout. ------------------------------------------------- “Here’s your cut, Paige.” Christian said, handing me a wad of cash. “You’re free to go. Grab your stuff and leave.” “Christian!” Mimi scolded him. “Aren’t we going to have a leaving party, or at least a drink or something?” “No. She’s paid her debt, she no longer needs to work with us. We can find another thief for our team.” ‘Thanks. I feel so appreciated...’ I thought as I stuffed the cash into my bag. “Right, well it was nice working with you...” I lied. “I’ll... well no I won’t see you around, so byeee!” I threw my bag over my shoulder. Looking around at the crew I had worked with for years, I felt... relief. I no longer had to work with them, I was free of this life, I had a fresh start. Looking at Emily, she smiled at me, which was surprising. Nodding her head, I figured that was the most ‘Thanks for everything’ I was going to get out of her. Turning my gaze to Jack, he was too engrossed to even look at me. He waved his hand behind his head and carried on typing. Christian didn’t even look at me. He was already off over the other side of the room on some call. Mimi was the only one who really cared that I was going, which was sad, as I would no longer spend so much time with her, but I felt happy that at least I meant something to someone. “Keep in touch!” Naomi said quietly to me as she escorted me out. “Don’t worry, Mimi. I couldn’t get rid of you even if I wanted to. I’ll let you know where I end up.” I tapped her lightly on the shoulder. “You’ve got... well no... you’ve not got lots of packing to do, you barely own anything. Make sure to fix that when you’ve got yourself set up somewhere! You deserve nice things!” “Thanks Meems. You take care okay? Don’t let the crew bully you too much.” “They don’t bully me!” She said, defensively. “Not yet. Now I’m gone, you’re the bottom of the ladder. Just... be careful. You know I care about you.” “I will. Now you get going before they start yelling.” Giving her the biggest hug I could, I smiled weakly to her as I left the hideout for the last time. ------------------------------------------------- “Right, so keepsakes... packed. What few clothes I own... packed. Thieving gear, even if I won’t need it anymore... packed.” My suitcase wasn’t very big, but then again I didn’t have much to take with me. Most of the furniture was worn down and needed replacing, it just wasn’t worth taking with me. I didn’t have many clothes, I didn’t have any CD’s or DVD’s or anything, I didn’t even need to pack many keepsakes. In no time at all, my suitcase was packed. “That’s it. All packed. Do I leave now? Where am I going exactly? Spain? Italy? Maybe America? France? Hmm...” I fell back onto the sofa and thought about my options. “I could leave tonight, but it’s kinda late. Maybe I could just leave tomorrow instead? Up nice and early, get a train to the airport, hop on the first flight out to somewhere nice. I’ve got my passport and everything, I can go anywhere...” My eyes noticed something. Something I had forgotten to pack. “Shit.” Standing up, I walked over to the bag under my bed, pulling it out and placing it on top of my duvet. Unzipping it slowly, I felt the squirmy feeling inside return as I stared at the outfits Miss Carver had ‘given’ me. “I... but... I mean... customs would be awkward if they open it... but...” As I lifted the latex outfit up, I felt a sudden urge completely take over as I rushed to the bathroom to find something to help get this thing on. ========================================================== I hope everyone enjoys this story as it goes on! 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 next 4 chapters are available on my Patreon, which can be found here if you go for the second tier. You get two weeks early access to chapters of Glitch in Nanny and Thief in Service. New chapters of Thief in Service every Wednesday/Sunday! Glitch in Nanny on Monday/Friday! 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! ? Also, from next week, I will most likely be increasing the number of chapters I post of this story to 3 per week (days undecided as of yet to make up for having no second ongoing story for a while (Glitch has finished on patreon, and will finish soon on here). I'm currently on chapter 10 of book 5, but I can't start posting any of it until this has finished completely, so for a while, it'll just be 3 chapters per week of one story (once Glitch finishes on here). So from tomorrow, the chapter schedule for Thief in Service will be Monday/Wednesday/Friday (Unless this changes).

Chapter 38: Olivia's Parents “What do you mean?” “Mum... I’m dating someone.” “You are? Oh that’s lovely!” “She.... she’s an Amazon...” “WHAT?” “Mum, calm down! It’s okay!” “It’s certainly not okay! Your father and I are coming to get you right now. Are you safe? Have you been altered at all?” “I’m safe, and I’m fine, there was only one bit of hypnosis.” It quickly dawned on me that I had fucked up. That I spoke before I had thought. “OH MY GOD! WHERE ARE YOU? WE’RE COMING TO GET YOU!” “MUM!” I shouted down the phone. She instantly shut up. I never spoke up to my mother, so it came as a bit of a surprise to her. “I am in a healthy, consensual relationship with a woman who I love with all my heart. Yes, she is an Amazon, and yes, that’s not considered normal. I am not regressed, and she has done nothing to harm or alter me. There was one tiny bit of hypnosis that gave me an oral fixation, but that’s it, and that wasn’t through any fault of Charlie’s.” “But that could have made you say that and give in to her!” “Mum, call Malcolm. Call Malcolm right now. He’ll confirm everything. Don’t worry, you can stay on the line here, use the house phone. I’ll wait.” I could hear my mother call Malcolm in the background, but I couldn’t make out anything they were saying. Thankfully I had Malcolm to back me up and help get her on board, otherwise my Mum would have been here in no time to grab me and run away with me. She trusted very few Amazons, really only Malcolm and Luigi. But I didn’t blame her after everything she had gone through with my Dad. “Okay, Malcolm wouldn’t tell me everything, but he insists this girlfriend of yours is genuine and can be trusted. I’m still not sure, so I think we need to meet her. If she seems off in any way, I’m taking you and running.” “Fine, whatever. If that’s what it takes for you to trust me and trust her, how about we meet at my shop tomorrow? Malcolm can be there to make you feel better. I’ll be there all day, I’m working. I can ask Charlie to meet us at lunchtime, so come in whenever you want, either before or after she gets there.” “Just promise me you’re okay right now Olivia.” “I promise, don’t worry. You may think I’m being an idiot, but trust me, you’ll love her.” “We’ll see. See you tomorrow love. Be careful. Please.” “Bye Mum.” “Who was that?” Charlie asked as she walked into the living room from the bath, still wearing a towel around her as water in her hair dripped onto the floor. “Umm... are you busy tomorrow?” I smiled weakly. Charlie had agreed to meet my parents, and had understood how hesitant they were. She would meet us at lunchtime at the shop and try to help me calm them down a bit. ------------------------------------------------- The morning after passed by quickly. My head was worrying so much about my parents’ reaction that I had no time to take in anything that happened. It was just a normal morning; breakfast with Charlie, her driving me to work, the shop was quiet too. It wasn’t until about 11.30am, when my parents walked through the front door to the shop, that things got interesting. “Malcolm, where’s my daughter?” I could hear the panic in her voice. “She’s in the back Mary, she’s fine. I promised you. She’s just working on a design, I think she’s expecting you so just go on through. Oh and hey Peter!” My Dad waved and followed my Mum through to the back. I was watching the whole interaction on the CCTV. “OLIVIA!” my Mum screamed as she ran over and hugged me. She held me close with her arms wrapped around me, as she slowly ran her hand down to my backside and I realised what she was doing. “MUM! I’m not in a nappy!” “Just checking sweetheart. You can’t be too sure with Amazons.” “You trust Malcolm!” “Yes but he has proved himself time and time again to us.” “Well Charlie will be here sometime in the next 30 minutes. Gives us time to talk about some stuff.” “Stuff? What stuff?” “Mum, Dad... have a seat. I’ll get you updated on everything.” They took a seat on my workshop sofa as I pulled up a chair from my desk and sat in front of them. “So this woman. She’s called Charlie. She’s a couple of years older than me roughly. She’s an Amazon, so she’s like 12 foot tall. And yes, I know it’s uncommon. But... I love her.” My Mum’s worried expression was quickly replaced by a look of pure shock. I couldn’t tell what was going through her head at this point. “You... you’ve never talked about anyone like that before. You’ve never used that word before.” “Because until now, I’ve never felt it with any of my partners. She... trust me, she’s something special. You’re going to love her.” “So... what’s she do? What’s she like?” my Dad asked. “She writes. She’s got red hair. She’s got a smile that makes my heart melt. She’s so kind, so compassionate, so...” “You really do love her, don’t you?” my Mum’s face changed once again. “I do Mum, I do. But I need to tell you something...” “What?” “When you said you thought you saw me last night... well... you did.” “But you said she hasn’t adopted or regressed you?” her face turned to confusion, my Dad kept silent, but copied her face every time. “She hasn’t, I promise. But...” I told her everything. About the baby treatment and the plan we had. “This is, by far, the most ridiculous plan you have ever come up with.” Before my mother could go on and berate me further, we were interrupted by Malcolm. “Liv, Charlie’s here.” Malcolm shouted towards the workshop. “Mum, Dad, be nice. Please.” I said to my parents before running over to the door and opening it, revealing Charlie. “Hi, I’m Charlie.” She said with a not-so-confident smile. I had never seen her so nervous. “Charlie, this is my Mum, Mary, and my Dad, Peter.” “Nice to meet you.” They both said in unison. “It’s lovely to meet you. Also hey babe, everything okay?” Charlie asked, quickly kissing me on the cheek. “Yeah, I just filled them in on the plan.” “Plan?” “THE plan. You know. B-A-B-Y plan.” “OH. Oh dear. You sure it was wise to tell them so soon?” “Figured we may as well get it out in the open.” Charlie nodded, sitting down on the floor next to my chair so she was at a similar height to my parents. I quickly sat back down. “So... Charlotte... what spell have you cast on my daughter here?” My Mum was no stranger to blurting out her thoughts. “I can assure you Mrs Clarke, I have cast no such spell. I love your daughter very much and I have no intention on adopting her or regressing her. I love her beautiful mind and I love everything about her.” “She said something about hypnosis? What happened there?” “I do apologise for that Mrs Clarke, we ended up in a situation with a few old Amazon friends of mine, and one of them tried to hypnotise Liv because she was being bratty. I can safely say there is no long term damage that won’t be fixable, and I am happy to say they are no longer my friends anymore.” “After the threats she made, I don’t think they’ll be doing anything to any other littles anytime soon.” I chipped in. “Well it’s nice to hear you’re standing up for my daughter. But I don’t like this plan of hers that basically means she’s adopted.” “I assure you, I have no intention of actually adopting her. If I did, our relationship would become illegal, and more importantly, I would never do anything she didn’t consent to.” “Charlie has been through a lot, Mum. She’s an ally to littles, trust me. She saw the way her parents abused her little brother, and since then has always been a supporter of little’s rights.” “Is that so? Well you certainly surprise me Charlotte. I don’t quite trust you yet, but you’re not a threat. So far.” “I will take what I can, Mrs Clarke.” “Mary. Call me Mary.” I smiled. This was a good sign that my Mum was open to the idea of Charlie and I being together. “Thank you Mary, please call me Charlie. But seriously, Liv came up with this plan of hers all by herself, after talking to a couple of littles in similar situations. And I can safely say, it has provided a bit more safety for her in public so far. We even got to have a date last night, sort of. Until Luigi and his daughter interrupted us.” “Luigi?” “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, we went to an Italian restaurant last night for a sort of Mummy/baby date, and we ended up at a place now owned by Luigi! We caught up and he gave us his contact details to give to you!” Charlie rooted around her bag and pulled out the card with the details on, handing it to my Mum. “Oh my. Well that’s wonderful. And certainly unexpected. I haven’t seen him in years! I’m glad he’s doing alright for himself. I’ll have to give him a call later!” “He was surprised when he saw me dressed how I was. But he understood and now we’ve got a place we can go on Sunday for an actual date in public, this time I won’t have to dress like a baby!” “Charlie... have you got any pictures of that?” I saw the grin on my Mum’s face and I knew I wasn’t going to get away from this that easily. Charlie looked a bit surprised by that, before quickly looking through her phone, finding a picture Eliana had taken of us both last night, before showing it to my Mum. “Oh my... you certainly are cute dressed like that. I’m sure that if it wasn’t consensual, I’d be terrified, but you look so... happy together in it. What do you think about all this, Peter? You’ve been awfully quiet.” “I’m always quiet Mary, you’re the chatty one. Plus... I... I don’t see the problem. Liv is a big girl. She’s clearly happy with Charlie. And Charlie seems wonderful. You were always the more cautious one, but this time... I have to side with Liv on this. She’s taken steps to ensure her safety so she can pursue a relationship with her girlfriend in public, whilst also ensuring she doesn’t get adopted by anyone else. It may seem crazy, but I can see how much they love each other and I can see why she decided to do this.” “I suppose. You do look beautiful together. And Liv, you look adorable dressed like... well like you did in the photo. I never got to dress you like that when you were a baby.” I blushed and Charlie noticed, wrapping her arm around me and pulling me close to her. “I promise you I will look after your little girl. Even if it means treating her as my little girl.” “You better. If anything happens to her...” “I’d be devastated Mary. I love her with all my heart. She means the world to me.” “Good.” ------------------------------------------------- We all chatted for a good hour or so. Charlie told my mother about all the cute outfits she had for me, my father wanted to know more about Charlie and her parents, and I spent most of the time blushing. We caught up on the past half a year, as I hadn’t had a proper talk with my parents in a long time. “We better get going now Liv, we’ve taken up far too much of your time. But it was nice meeting you Charlie.” My Mum said, standing up and grabbing her bag. “Likewise.” answered Charlie. “I’m still not sure about this whole thing, but it is not my place to judge. As my husband put it, Liv is a big girl. And from what I’ve heard, you are trustworthy and capable of helping my daughter stay out of trouble. So I know you don’t need it, but you have my approval.” “And mine.” Said my Dad. “Thanks Mum, thanks Dad.” I hugged them both tightly, both of them giving me a kiss on the forehead. “Please be good to my daughter.” My Mum said, looking at Charlie. “I promise I will.” She said. ------------------------------------------------- My parents left, handing me a note on the way out. I waited until they left to read it. ‘If anything happens, you know the safeword. Get in touch. I like your girlfriend but you never know. Please be safe.’ I loved my Mum, and she was rightfully overcautious, but it still hurt me a bit that she didn’t trust Charlie the way I do. Even if she trusted her as much as Malcolm does I’d feel better, but I suppose it would just take time for her. “Well that went okay.” Charlie said, pulling me onto her lap. “Yeah. Best I could ask for this early on. Sorry about my parents.” “Hey, it’s understandable. They’ve been through a lot, and I now understand what littles go through, or at least the best I can without being a little myself.” “Thank you for putting their worries at ease.” “Baby, I love you, and I want your parents to like me. Over time I’m sure they’ll warm up even more.” “I love you too Charlie.” “You’ve got about 5 hours left to use that name, after that... I think you need some baby time. So when you get home, be prepared to have that cute little butt of yours put back in nappies.” I blushed deeply and buried my face into Charlie. “Yes... M...Charlie.” ========================================================== I hope everyone enjoyed the latest chapter! Please leave likes and comments and all that fun stuff, I love reading them! Been working on banner/logo art for my patreon and setting it up and I think I've worked out how to do everything (I had no idea it would be this stressful and difficult! ?). But basically I could get it started at anytime. I'm going to continue writing my 2nd story (12 chapters in so far out of 40!) and probably start posting it soon. I am SO excited to see people's comments and thoughts with this next one, I'm really enjoying writing it! As for this story, next chapter will be posted tomorrow. And I don't think people will want to miss it... ?

Chapter 36: Pouty-pants After finishing the bottle, I was lifted up by Charlie and placed back into the playpen with Alice. “See! I knew you’d enjoy dis!” Alice smiled. I blushed. I mean she was right, but I blushed nonetheless. “Maybe...” “You need to stop resisting dis. Embrace it. You’ll enjoy it even more if you do.” “Buh...” “No buhs! Jus baby! Now... let’s play a bit more before my Daddy says I hafta go.” “...Otay.” ------------------------------------------------- We played for another hour before John stood up and grabbed Alice’s changing bag. “Baby, we need to get going.” He said. Alice pouted. Playing along, I pouted too. “Oh dear John, looks like we’ve got a couple of pouty-pants!” teased Charlie. “It appears we do! But don’t worry, if it’s okay with Liv’s Mummy here, we can have another playdate soon, okay?” “Buh... fine.” Alice gave in, turning round and hugging me tightly. “Dun forget about embracing dis. Don’t fight it. Trust me, I know. Buh also don’t forget to have some time for your relationship. Charlie is a great Mummy, buh she’s also your girlfriend. You should think of a way to say thank you to her.” “You’re right. And thanks again Alice. You’ve given me a lot to think about and I feel like I can mostly relax and enjoy being a baby.” “You welcomes. Anyway, gotsta go. Talk to you soon Liv!” John walked over and lifted Alice out of the playpen. “Wave bye-bye Alice.” Alice waved at me and I waved back to her, feeling sad that she had to go. Charlie showed the pair out and closed the door behind them as I waited in the playpen, feeling a sudden sense of emptiness. “What’s up baby?” “I... I dunno. Jus... sad.” “Sad? Aww baby, you’re probably just sad that Alice had to go. But don’t worry, you’ll be able to have another playdate with her, maybe next week.” “But... I’ve never felt sad like this before.” “I think I know what’s up. Come here little munchkin.” Charlie lifted me out of the playpen and took me to the big, comfy recliner, sitting down and resting me in her arms. I was a bit confused as I had only been fed an hour ago. “I not hungwy.” “No baby, I know. But I thought you could do with some snuggle time.” “Oh. Yeah. Th... That would be nice.” Charlie wrapped a blanket around me and snuggled me against her, looking down with a loving smile and her beautiful green eyes staring at me. “I know what’s up baby. You’re not used to your emotions when you’re feeling this small. It’s the first time you’ve unlocked this headspace properly, and your emotions will be super sensitive. So normal things like seeing friends go will feel more intense than when you’re in your normal adult headspace. But it also means that positive things, like snuggles and kisses, will also be more intense for you.” “I... I guess? I dun know.” “How is this snuggling feeling to you? Any different than before?” “...Yeah, a bit. Better, definitely. Maybe you’re right?” “Trust me Olivia. I know you well enough, and I have some small experience with this kind of thing. Plus... I’ve been doing a bit of research on the side.” “Research?” “Yeah, I wanted to know more about this... lifestyle or whatever you want to call it. So I did some research online. It’s not very common but there was some interesting information out there about headspaces. Also quick idea, if you were willing to make your outfits at work, but in a bigger size, you’d open a whole new market to Amazons who are like you. They’d kill for your designs in their sizes. And hell, maybe even draw some of the littles who are into it towards shopping from you. Maybe you should branch online?” “Making them in Amazon sizes? I never thought of doing that.” “Just an idea. Don’t worry about it for now sweetie. You just relax and enjoy these snuggles.” I started thinking about how amazing Charlie was. Not only for protecting me, or being an amazing girlfriend in general, but also for supporting me through this and every one of my stupid schemes and ideas. I wanted to take Alice’s suggestion, I wanted to say thank you somehow. That’s when it dawned on me. “Charlie?” “Yes baby?” “When we started this just over a week ago, one of the original ideas was that being fake adopted meant we could go out together and be somewhat intimate. But so far we’ve only been to the park and the mall. And two houses we didn’t have the best time at.” “Yes...?” “How about we go on a date together? But with me in baby mode or whatever. We could actually go out, have a meal or something?” “But you’d be stuck in nappies, dressed as a baby, and most importantly, you’d be treated like a baby and have to eat baby food.” “Yeah, but we could actually go out, eat together, hold hands. We could get a nice quiet booth and still talk like girlfriends.” “I know you suggested stuff like this when we first discussed this whole plan, but are you sure you wouldn’t mind putting up with the whole baby treatment?” “For a dinner date with you? Of course I wouldn’t. I’ve been wanting to do something like this since we started dating. If it means having to dress like this and eat some disgusting baby food, then so be it!” “Well I know a restaurant that is a bit more little friendly and you’d get the same meal as me, just mushed up into a form suitable for babies. But it will taste good at least!” “Then that’s settled. We’re going on a date. How about Wednesday?” “Wednesday is fine. I guess I’ll have to figure out what we both need to wear.” “Also, Charlie, if it ends up being too weird for you with me in baby mode whilst we’re having a date, just say, okay? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or anything.” “Liv, I see you as my girlfriend, even when you’re feeding from me and dressed like any other regressed little. I don’t see you as an actual regressed little or a baby or anything, I see you as you. Sometimes your more childish side of yourself comes out, and my maternal feelings kick in more, but I still see you as you.” My face started turning red and my tummy started fluttering. “You’re a complex, wonderful person and I love every part of you, but even with you having all these different sides, you’re still my gorgeous girlfriend. So don’t worry about me, it’ll just be the same as me playing Mummy in public, I’m just having to treat my girlfriend like a baby, I won’t actually see you as a baby.” “Good answer.” “Thanks babe. Seriously, I love you with all my heart. And if it just means I’ve got to infantilise you whilst we’re on a date, then so be it. My gorgeous girlfriend will be treated like a baby if it means I get to go on an actual date with her.” “I love you too Charlie.” ------------------------------------------------- Wednesday evening rocked up much quicker than I was expecting. During the past day and a half I managed to do a bit of research into opening up an online store for my dresses, one catered more towards... you know... people like me. Both Amazon and littles. I found some of the online community for people into this, but I was way too shy to create an account or talk to anyone. So I stalked a bit, did a bit of research, and made a few notes. I figured I could easily afford to create two separate websites. One for littles looking for more adult appropriate clothing sized for them to make it safer for them, and one for babyish outfits sized for Amazons and littles. I wanted to cater to specifically people into the kink rather than open it to Amazons looking for outfits for their littles, because that would reduce the amount of people we could potentially save if everything was done online. We set up the store mostly to come up with a cover for our rescue operation, so if we suddenly went online, there was no way to help littles. I figured I’d need to do a bit more research before I came up with any solid ideas, and I’d need to talk to Malcolm too. But now it was Wednesday afternoon, only a few hours until my dinner date with Charlie. I had gotten a lift back from work by Malcolm, as Charlie texted me to say she was out and would be back shortly after I got home. So for a good thirty minutes or so, I relaxed at home and watched TV. I heard the door unlock and in came Charlie with some shopping bags. “Liv? I’m home!” “Hey Charlie! Oooh what’d you get?” “A surprise for you. Now sit down and close your eyes. No peeking!” “Hmm... okay. Fine. They’re shut.” I heard rustling, and my heart started beating quicker and quicker. “Okay... open your eyes.” I opened my eyes to see Charlie stood in front of the TV, with the biggest smile on her face, as she held up a dress that was definitely my size. “You like?” The dress felt familiar somehow. It was a dark purple dress, with very subtle white frills along the hem and the puffed sleeves. It had a small white belt around the midsection, and a peter pan collar. “I was looking through your adult clothes and I wanted to get you something you can wear to our date tonight, but something that was a bit of a mix between baby and adult in design. So I looked at your nicest, smartest dress, and did a bit of looking online. I managed to find this, which is very close to your smart purple dress that I love seeing you in!” “That’s why it seems familiar!” “Yeah, it’s just like it, just with the sleeves, collar and frills changed. The colour and shape are identical. So it satisfies the babyish criteria of our date, but is adult enough that you shouldn’t feel weird or uncomfortable or too embarrassed!” “That’s pretty incredible! I can’t believe you found it, honestly!” “Me neither. Now, let’s get us both dressed shall we? We both need to do our makeup, and I’ll need to get you padded little miss...” I hadn’t worn a nappy today, as the milk’s effects had worn off, and I was going to have some big girl time before I had to play baby tonight. It was nice being able to wear my own underwear again, but part of me still missed being padded, so I was quite excited. Charlie lifted me up and carried me into the bedroom in one arm and her shopping bags in the other. Placing me down on the changing table, she quickly deposited her spoils onto the bed and went about putting a thick nappy on me. “Now, I’m putting you in a thicker one than usual tonight, okay baby?” “Umm... how come?” “Because we want people to not ask questions about your adoptive state, and I don’t want to look like a bad Mummy. And mostly because I’m hoping you can manage the whole evening in just one nappy so we don’t need to change you. It’s going to be difficult enough for you, I don’t want to make you worry even more.” “I guess. But I may need to be changed as soon as we’re home!” “Don’t worry about it sweetpea, I’ll do that as soon as we get back.” Charlie expertly taped a nappy around me and picked me up, placing me on the floor. I tried to stand up, but quickly found this impossible as I tumbled to the floor, landing on my padded rear. “Oh dear! Sorry baby, forgot that would be the case!” Charlie said, quickly picking me up and sitting me on the bed. “You’ll have to carry me the whole time I guess. But hey, I’m not complaining, more time close to you!” “Oh you!” Charlie said, smiling contently. “Hey, don’t blame me. I have the best girlfriend in the world.” “Oh you do? And how do you know this?” “Because a survey said so.” “Oh, and what survey would that be?” “A survey of one. Me. And I said it. So it must be true.” “Oh damn. That is a very trustworthy survey. I must be the best girlfriend in the world!” Charlie kissed me on the lips and proceeded to lay out my outfit for the evening next to me, all whilst I was blushing and trying to recover from the rush of blood to my head. Charlie dressed me up, did my makeup, and showed me off in the mirror. I looked like the perfect babygirl, all dolled up, ready for an evening out with Mummy. Charlie then got her outfit on, which turned out to be a matching outfit, but a lot more grown up in both style and size. “I’m sorry Liv, I couldn’t resist. I thought it’d be adorable if we dressed like matching Mummy and baby.” “But you pull it off so much better than I do!” I joked. “Oh but you have the nappy and the pigtails working for you, they make you look a lot cuter than me.” “Trade?” “Haha, not in your life sweetpea. Sorry, you’re stuck being my babygirl.” “I guess that’s not so bad. I do have the best Mummy in the world...” “Oh, let me guess... similar survey?” “Yup. And it unanimously stated you were the best.” “Well I can’t argue with that can I?” “Nope.” “Well good job the best Mummy has the best babygirl in the whole world!” she said, lightly tickling my tummy. I giggled and stumbled back. Charlie grabbed me quickly and lifted me up. “Right, ready sweetheart?” “Ready Charlie... I mean Mummy.” “Good girl.” ========================================================== I hope everyone enjoyed the latest chapter! Please leave likes and comments and all that fun stuff, I love reading them! ?We're officially half way through the story now! Next chapter Saturday! Still trying to figure out posting schedules, especially regarding my next story (which I've written 5 chapters of so far). Gotta take into account patreon early access and everything. May have to wait until this story is posted fully before I start posting the next one too. So please excuse any irregular posting schedules for the foreseeable future, I'm still getting used to all this ? (But I promise I'll be posting at least 4 chapters of Little in Love per week)