SolSombraYSoldados

Thank you 💜

The conclusion of our sweet and spicy (and wet) sleepover! ----- 19 Little Love The spell the blanket fort put on the Littles was as pleasant as a weekday nap. Within the cozy enclosure, Ava found closeness with Briana’s friends more quickly than she’d thought possible. She was draped across Arthur’s lap in just twenty minutes. While Fabi pretended to paint her toenails, Briana explained the intricacies of collecting every candy in the farming simulator she and Melody played together. Ava had her teddy bear, Brownie, tucked against her side. Tommy, Arthur’s tyrannosaurus, was giving his own presentation to the rest of the stuffies atop the neatly stacked sleeping bags the Littles would be using when bedtime came. Fluffy pillows were strewn everywhere, making happy lumps of softness atop the delightful foam mattresses that made up the fort’s floor. The experience’s comfort was enough to make a Little girl forget about nasty protestors and disappointing doctor visits. The front door opening shattered the brief peace. Briana cut herself off mid-sentence with a gasp and bolted out of the fort, leaving the other three Littles staring at the spot she’d been. Ava shook her head and laughed. “There goes Looney Tunes.” Arthur giggled, his legs shaking gently under Ava. “She’s a total cartoon character when she’s Little.” Ava held her reply while Briana’s greeting to Melody echoed off the living room walls. With a smile, she said, “Yeah – I guess that’s something I love about her.” “She has a boyfriend. You shouldn’t fall in love with people who’re already with someone else.” Fabi looked up at Ava with a pout. “She’s poly – or something. Look, she started it, and I mentioned her boyfriend when she started flirting with me.” “New rule. No grumping in the fort,” Arthur declared. “Fabi, you’re not supposed to fish for a spanking when there’s no bigs around to hear you.” “I wasn’t fishing for a spanking – I don’t do that!” Fabi drew herself up indignantly. “I didn’t know it was okay for Ava to be in love with Briana.” “You totally fish for spankings,” Arthur smirked. “Do not! How would you know?” “Because I do it too.” Arthur giggled. Briana poked her head into the fort. “Hey, get out here, everybody; Melody’s here!” “Aren’t they coming in the fort?” Ava asked. “No, we have to go play video games now. They have a whole thing set up in their room. Come on, come on!” Briana vanished as quickly as she’d poked her head in, leaving the pillowcase door to the fort swinging. “We’d better follow her, or she’ll be back – louder.” Arthur set Ava aside and squeezed through the fort’s door. His already big butt was huge when padded, crinkling when he bumped the armchair that formed part of the fort’s wall. Fabi was right behind Arthur, her white diaper looking like a hydrangea puff nestled in the pale purple lace under her skirt. Ava scooted out as best she could, unsurprised to see Briana, Melody, and Arthur already gone from the living room. That Fabi had waited was a surprise, even more so when she held out a hand to help Ava rise to her feet. “Thanks,” Ava said as she steadied herself on her crutches. “It should have been Arthur helping you,” Fabi said disapprovingly. “He’s way stronger. But I guess he doesn’t think about stuff when he’s Little.” “You did great, thanks again.” Ava smiled at Fabi, getting a bashful grin in return. “I wasn’t trying to be mean. I didn’t understand, really.” Fabi squirmed. “Daddy and my main babysitter say I’m not always nice to people when I’m Little.” “It can be hard to watch what you say, huh?” Ava leaned against Fabi, and the other girl bonked her head gently against Ava’s. “Come on, they’re going to make fun of us if we’re too slow.” Melody’s room was decked out in fairy lights – presumably because it’d been intended to be the sleeping spot. Hopefully, one of the bigs would help them move those to the fort. The room had a lot of furniture, as if two bedrooms had been smushed together without much coordination. There was just one bed, but there were two desks, one an enormous wrap-around thing, the other a simple table. Both had bulky computers, but the bigger desk was covered in electronic stuff and figurines. There wasn’t much space on the floor with two clothes dressers in the room, especially after a big screen TV had been set up against the closet door. Every inch of wall space that wasn’t a window had shelving that held hundreds of figurines, manga volumes, and video game cases. Ava couldn’t imagine living in such a packed room. She would have felt claustrophobic merely standing there if she hadn’t been snuggling with the other Littles a moment ago. As it was, she was happy to tuck herself against Athur’s warm side. Briana proved Ava a prophet when she and Fabi entered the room. “Finally, you two get here!” “Sorry, I was kissing your girlfriend.” Fabi’s tone was ungentle. Had she been speaking to Ava, it would have been sharp enough to hurt. “Nuh-uh!” Briana’s face was unclouded. “I saw you with your Daddy; you’re super in love with him. I bet you smooch him all the time.” “You’ve never seen me smooch him!” Fabi protested. “The way you were looking at him on my birthday, I can imagine it. Smoochy, smoochy, smoochy!” Briana mimed terrible wet kisses each time she said smoochy. “Settle down, noobs.” Melody was in shortalls and a shirt with an anime character on it. If they were wearing a diaper, it was slim; there was no bulge to be seen on their rear. “The first game is Super Bonk Siblings. Ava and Arthur will be a team and get the first character pick.” “What? How come?” Fabi frowned. Briana looked ready to join Fabi’s protest, but Melody dragged her down to the floor before she could get a word out. “Because they were chill when they came in instead of arguing.” Melody handed controllers to Arthur and Ava. “Pick your favorite characters, or if you’ve never played, pick one of the sword people or the dragon turtle; they’re easy to use.” Arthur picked a fox in a space suit within seconds of taking the controller. Ava looked up at him and back at the incomprehensible grid of character portraits on the screen. “Sorry you got stuck with me on your team; I’ve never played this before,” Ava said. “We’ll be fine; I’m good at it.” Arthur grinned. “Melody was right about the easy-to-use characters. Try the sword lady.” Ava found the character with some prompting and was surprised to discover that she also had to pick the character’s outfit. Upon a second look, they were all the same outfit in different color schemes. She chose the red one as Briana and Fabi were getting their controllers. “Aren’t you going to play, Melody?” Ava asked. “Yeah, but I’m on a team by myself.” Melody grinned. “Otherwise, my pro-gamer moves would be too powerful.” Briana picked a puppy character, and Fabi chose a pink marshmallow thing. Of the two of them, Briana looked more confident. Melody picked a character that was somehow two girls, to which Briana responded with a groan. “Sib, no fair! You’re not allowed to play the twins anymore, remember?” “Hey, I don’t know how good Arthur is, but he picked an S-rank character, so I have to match him in the first game at least.” “I’m really sorry, Arthur.” Ava settled on the floor next to her big teammate. “We’ll be fine. Here, let me show you how the controls work.” Arthur looked up at Melody. “We can give Ava a few minutes to figure out the moves, right?” “Of course.” Melody tucked themself atop their bed. “Sis, you want to get everybody a soda?” “Okay!” Briana flounced out of the room while Melody started the game. Everyone’s characters were placed on a floating island with a few platforms above it. Ava and Fabi played with the controls while Briana was out. Though she still felt lost, Ava was grateful that her character couldn’t damage Arthur’s and that he was good at gently explaining the basic moves. Once Briana returned – and as soon everyone had a sip of delightfully sugary soda – the game devolved into total chaos. Characters were jumping everywhere, lights flashed as weird powers activated, and Ava had no idea what was happening. She contented herself with trying to stay on the floating island and slashing with her sword at any character that came near her. Fabi had only a little more experience, making for a few satisfying fights when her pink blob clashed with Ava’s sword lady. Meanwhile, Briana clearly knew what she was doing. Her dog-girl character moved with purpose, activating special moves in ways that made sense. While Arthur outclassed her, he couldn’t dominate her the way he did when he caught Fabi. Briana even knew how to recover from falling off the floating island. Arthur and Melody were on a different level from the rest of them, but the skill disparity between them was just as apparent as between Fabi and Briana. Melody didn’t seem to care if their character was falling, and it didn’t seem to matter as they could make their character dance in mid-air. They switched fluidly between their two characters, bashing anyone who came close with a sword of fire or a sword of light. Arthur made valiant attempts but was repeatedly hurled off the island for his troubles. Using the one special move she’d reliably pulled off; Ava made her character raise her sword and shine with a brilliant light. “Everyone, we have to gang up on Melody! It’s our only hope!” “Yeah! Everyone dogpile on my sib!” Briana cackled wildly. For the next few minutes, things were almost even. Or so they appeared until the characters stopped returning after Melody knocked them off the island. Good-natured laughter erupted from the group as Melody’s characters stood triumphant on the victory screen. “Okay, new teams, everyone vs Melody.” Ava declared. Time flew by, especially after Briana successfully shamed Melody into choosing a less powerful character. Even playing as a Venus fly trap, Melody remained dominant, but there were enough silly game modes and ridiculous random items to keep things from feeling unfair. By dinnertime, everyone’s interest in the game was waning. Grandma – Briana’s Grandma – arrived to collect soda cans and check diapers. To Ava’s surprise, she checked Melody, too. Briana’s sibling was in a pullup and had kept themselves dry. That made Melody the potty champion as well as the Bonk Siblings champion. All the other Littles were wet. With so many Littles to change, caregivers came out of the wings to help. Briana’s mom and dad took Briana and Fabi upstairs to change while Rosa kicked everyone out of Melody’s room so she could change Arthur. Grandma Michelle helped Ava to the drawing room changing table and had her out of her diaper in a flash. With the whole household involved in changing the Littles, Ava didn’t realize an entirely new person was changing her until Grandma Michelle was taping her into a clean diaper. Being changed felt as natural as toddling behind Michelle to the dining room. The table was set up just for the kids, with the adults having dinner in the kitchen. Heaping bowls of spaghetti, red sauce, and white sauce greeted Ava with a savory smell that made her belly rumble. The garlic bread was a welcome addition, but Ava felt Little enough to eye the salad bowl suspiciously. As she’d suspected, Grandma Michelle insisted on everyone having some salad before they were allowed to tuck into the pasta. Briana was surprisingly docile about the intrusion of vegetables into what would have otherwise been a perfect Little meal. When Fabi complained about her salad, Ava discovered why her girlfriend was going with the flow. “Fabiola Felix, you eat your salad, or there will be no dessert for you – and no snacks later.” Grandma Michelle’s mommy tone was so powerful that the rest of the Littles caught a stray sense of guilt. It was heads down and quiet eating until everyone’s salad plate was clean. Without skipping a beat, Grandma Michelle was back to being jolly, loading up Littles plates with noodles, smothering those noodles with sauce, and planting a generous chunk of garlic bread on top. Savory carbs warmed Ava to the very tips of her fingers and toes. “This is really good, Grandma Michelle,” Ava said, remembering to swallow her mouthful of pasta before she did so. “Did you make the sauce?” “Vonnie – Veronica, I mean – made the red sauce, Jane made the white. All I did was the garlic bread – I had my hands full with you Muppets.” Michelle beamed. “I’ll pass my compliments on to the chefs.” Neither the Littles’ faces nor their shirts survived the pasta sauce unscathed. Grandma Michelle was on hand with washcloths and spare shirts – Ava was proud to be the least fussy of the Littles during her scrub-down. Her excellent behavior at dinner was rewarded with being let out of dishwashing duty. In reality, Ava’s legs had gotten too unsteady to let her carry anything or stand at a sink. Grandma Michelle had praised Ava as she escorted the Little girl to the blanket fort, which was enough for Ava to reclassify it as a good girl benefit. She had plenty of time to situate herself comfortably among the pillows and stuffies before Briana burst into the fort. No sooner had the red-haired girl arrived than she was straddling Ava’s lap. The scent of baby powder and the plump diaper between Briana’s legs clashed enticingly with her dramatic makeup and clothes. “Hi, Looney Tunes.” Ava settled her hands on Briana’s waist. “I love that you have a nickname for me already. Now I hafta think of one for you.” “Yeah? Any ideas?” “Not about nicknames.” Briana dipped her head downward. Ava shivered, closing her eyes as their lips met. Warmth prickled across Ava’s skin, especially under her diaper. Their lips parted – Briana’s playful tongue had Ava gripping her girlfriend’s waist. Briana broke the kiss with devastating suddenness and slipped off Ava’s lap. While she was trying to process the kiss – and its sudden ending – Fabi crawled through the fort’s door. “What were you two doing in here, smooching?” She scooted out of the way to allow Arthur to squeeze in. “What’s wrong with that?” Arthur asked. “If I had my mommy in here, I’d smooch her.” “That’s gross, you’re gross.” Fabi giggled. “So you don’t smooch your daddy?” Ava smirked at Fabi. “Maybe I should ask him about that when he picks you up tomorrow.” “Don’t you dare!” Fabi blushed profusely, eliciting a big giggle from Briana. “Is that Briana I hear giggling?” An unfamiliar woman’s voice from outside the fort startled Ava. “Auntie Kiara!” Briana trampled Arthur and Fabi in a mad dash out of the fort. The three Littles left behind shared a helpless look and a laugh. “Everyone here loves her so much,” Fabi said wistfully. “She’s a lot of fun.” Arthur nodded. “I’m glad she crashed in on me and my mommy playing last year.” “Is that how you two met?” Ava asked Arthur, who nodded in return. She turned to Fabi and asked, “How did you meet Briana?” “We have the same babysitter, Monserrat.” “Oh, I know her. Well, she babysat me once anyway.” Ava felt a smile bubble up in her from the memory. “I really like her.” Fabi nodded. “I’ve been trying to be nicer to her ever since she got mad at me when I was a brat.” “Isn’t being a brat your whole thing?” Arthur asked. “Yeah, but I was being mean about it.” Fabi rubbed the back of her neck. “What’s that? We’re being mean to Briana? I’m in.” Melody crawled into the fort and winked at the other Littles. “We’re talking about Monserrat,” Ava said. “You better not be mean to my girlfriend.” “Briana and Ava were smooching in here,” Fabi said. “You’re always a little out of pocket, aren’t you, Fabi?” Melody grabbed Fabi and rubbed their knuckles into the Little girl’s head until she shrieked and squirmed out of Melody’s grasp. “How come you’re acting like you’re in charge?” Arthur reached out and casually tipped Melody over. “Hey! Because you Littles are in diapers, and I’m in a pullup.” Melody stuck out their tongue. “Somebody has to be the big kid.” “You’re saying you’re a Middle? Does that mean you admit that you’re – Mid?” Ava asked, giggling at Fabi and Arthur’s surprised laughs. “Kitty has claws!” Melody grinned. “Good one. Fine, you have my permission to date my sister.” “Where is your sister? Did she get lost in the living room after hugging you?” Ava asked. “Aunt Kiara yeeted her into a discussion about politics stuff. She’ll be back.” Melody shrugged. Fabi was looking neglected and out of sorts. Surprising herself, Ava had a, What Would Briana Do, moment and pulled the Little girl in for a snuggle. Her reward was immediate, in the form of a warm hug and a happy noise from Fabi. “Are you going to help Briana with her new plan?” Arthur likewise pulled Melody in for a hug. They sputtered and squirmed in his grasp, but he paid no mind to their protests or supposed big-kid status. “You mean her whole Little Liberation thing?” Melody settled in against Arthur while humming a few bars of the Soviet anthem. “I can’t say I’m a huge fan, but I’ll obviously help Bri with anything she’s doing.” “Are you worried about being outed as ABDL if Briana goes public?” Naming the issue made Ava’s stomach flop. “Eh, it’s not like I have friends IRL,” Melody said. “You’re right that she’ll probably upset more Littles than she expects. Mostly, I worry about her getting hurt. She has a bad track record with getting excited and going all Deus Vult.” “She’s kinda unstoppable when she gets going, though,” Arthur said. “That’s what I’m worried about.” Ava was caught off guard by a supportive hug from Fabi and squeezed the other Little in return. It’s going to be Leah outing me at school all over again. “No more sad stuff; we’re at a sleepover!” Fabi booted Arnold the Pangolin at Melody. “Fine, you kids want to hear a ghost story?” Melody asked, grinning at the chorus of nods they got in reply. “Sib! You were going to tell ghost stories without me?” Briana crawled into the fort, kneeling indignantly with her hands on her hips. “Apparently not, ‘cause you made it back in time.” Melody ducked out of Arthur’s grasp and grabbed a flashlight. “All you babies, go join a snuggle pile.” ~~~*~~~ Melody’s ghost stories were lame. Ava was not a scaredy baby – but one of the other Littles would inevitably flinch and jump-scare her. The group had devolved into nervous giggles when Veronica entered the fort and began fishing Littles out for their nighttime diapers. Middle or not, Melody was not spared; they were sent out of the fort into Rosa’s waiting arms with as little ceremony as Briana, Fabi, or Arthur were sent packing. In a more stubborn mood, Ava would have complained about getting special treatment and being changed in the fort itself. As Little as she was feeling that evening, it was nice to be babied by Veronica. She was good at it, too, making the diaper change fun and comforting. When the Littles reassembled, they were all in ridiculously poofy diapers that no onesie could contain. It was booster pads all around – though Melody was an exception again. Briana claimed that going from a pullup to a diaper was way more embarrassing than getting a booster added to a diaper. Ava, Arthur, and Fabi agreed, piling on Melody for a good round of teasing. Ava was delighted to see the fairy lights strung atop the sheets that made up the fort’s ceiling as the lights went down outside the fort. Having them shine through the fabric was even more magical than seeing them up close would have been. Bashfully, Ava suggested zipping her sleeping back together with Briana’s. Nobody said anything about it – though the look in Melody’s eyes promised some quality teasing later. Fabi was the first asleep, crashing out mere minutes after her head hit her pillow. Fabi’s snores and a wall of Roundtable stuffies were great covers for sneaking in some smooches on her girlfriend. Cocooned in sleeping bags, Ava and Briana explored each other’s lips and the soft skin under their pajama tops. The combined bags overheated in no time, leaving them pink-cheeked and squirmy. Ava was ready for a lot more and excited to discover that Briana was just as eager. Unfortunately, there was too much of an audience, even if Melody and Arthur had fallen asleep as fast as Fabi. As she drifted off in frustrated delight, Ava slipped into some of the sexiest and snuggliest dreams she’d ever had – all the while cuddling her girlfriend close.

I'm back! Thanks y'all for being patient during my hiatus. 💜 It's a Briana chapter, and she's got a sleepover planned with all her Little friends. Exciting! 18 Sleepover It was a gorgeous spring Saturday in the Rasmussen house. The windows were open to let in fresh air and birdsong. The wood floor of the house’s great room glowed in the late morning light, freshly polished. From top to bottom, the house was immaculate, far more so than during a regular Saturday cleaning. This was mainly due to Briana’s and her Round Table's efforts. Briana paced in front of the stuffies lined up on the living room couch. One by one, she inspected the chore each stuffie had been assigned. · Knight Captain Alanna: Responsible for beating the dust out of the rug – done. · Squire Beartholomew: Asked to put out a bowl of chips and a bowl of cut strawberries – done. · Sir Chuck the Giraffe: Charged with dusting the furniture – done. · Sir Mimsey the Bat: Tasked with putting away toys and arranging throw pillows and blankets – done. · Sir Arnold the Pangolin: Trusted to put plastic glasses and a juice pitcher on the coffee table – not done! “Sir Arnold the Pangolin, I’m very disappointed you’re not finished with your job.” Briana shook her head at Arnold the Pangolin. “Luckily for Sir Arnold the Pangolin, your Princess is in a good mood. Plus, there’s still time before our guests arrive.” Briana snatched Arnold the Pangolin up and sprinted to the kitchen. Mindful of her pretty pouf dress with its lace overlay, she and Arnold the Pangolin took the glasses on the first trip and the pitcher on the second. The dress and lace were black, so the grape juice probably wouldn’t stain her if spilled, but it wasn’t worth the risk. She hadn’t spent her morning getting dolled up like a Little version of her gothy mom only to ruin it at the last minute. All chores were finished, and the snacks were ready. There was only one problem – no guests! Frustrated, Briana trotted across the hardwood floors in her brand new black and white Mary Jane’s. The clicky-clack noise her shoes made was enough fun that she didn’t feel like throwing a tantrum when she found Veronica – Briana was merely impatient. “Momma!” Briana hopped on the drawing room’s plush rug, which didn’t make a fun noise but had a delightful squish. Veronica was sitting primly in a black leather armchair with her laptop on her lap. She took an interminably long moment to finish whatever she typed before looking up. “Yes, Baby Bee?” “When’s Grandma going to get back? She’s been gone for ages.” “Michelle had three Littles to pick up, all living in different parts of town. I’m sure she’ll be back any minute.” Veronica smiled. “I’m glad you’re so excited, though. Did you finish all your chores?” “Barely! Arnold the Pangolin was sandbagging again.” Briana did a twirl for the joy of seeing her skirt flare out. Twirling was almost as fun as being at eye level with her mom. It only happened when Veronica was sitting or crouching down, which made it easy for Briana to stay in Littlespace around her mother. Two friends on their way were petite as well, though not as tiny as Briana. Nobody in the whole Graduate school was as tiny as her. Arthur was the opposite of Tiny, which made the ease with which he slipped into Littlespace impressive. Briana wondered if she should have Alanna commend him for it or if he’d be upset to have his size brought up. “Briana, are you listening to me?” Veronica had set her laptop aside and took Briana’s hands, pulling the Little girl into her lap. “Sorry, Mom, I was thinking about my friends. I can’t wait until they get here.” With a happy sigh, Briana leaned against her mom and tucked her head under Veronica’s chin. “I asked if you needed a change before they get here, but I can see you’re too distracted to notice.” Veronica flipped Briana’s skirt up and squeezed the Little girl’s diaper. “You’re dry, good girl.” It was funny how something that had used to bring Briana to tears – being diaper checked – had become such a comfort and reminder of Mom’s love. “Melody is going to play with us, too, right?” Briana squirmed until she had her arms around her mom and gave her a tight squeeze. “They said they would, so it’s a promise, and they have to play with us.” “I’m sure your sibling will happily play with you.” Veronica kissed Briana atop her head. “They said they were looking forward to it. But they won’t be here immediately, so don’t be disappointed. You’ll have plenty to do when Michelle returns with your friends anyway.” “Oh my gosh – I mean Goddess – it’s going to be so fun! Thanks for letting me have a sleepover, Mom.” Veronica got a funny look on her face when Briana invoked the Goddess. She always had a weird look when Briana brought up the one thing in her life that Briana hadn’t yet gotten to experience. This time, it was just a look instead of a swat or a frown. Mom even gave Briana a little squeeze. There could be no better time to ask Mom, especially after Briana had been such a good girl with her chores. “Momma, can I go with you to the next esbat?” “Not the next one.” Veronica put a finger on Briana’s lips to silence her whine. “April’s esbat is scheduled for the end of the month, during the dark of the moon. It’ll be one of our more serious ceremonies, and it won’t be a good introduction to the coven for anyone, especially a Little girl.” “But Momma!” “Let me finish. Beltane will be at the beginning of next month and the perfect time to introduce my bouncy, sparkly daughter.” “Really?!” Briana’s enthusiastic hug squeezed a grunt out of Veronica. “Mom, that’s super exciting! Can Melody come if I convince them?” “Only if they really want to come, and not if they agreed because you were badgering them.” “Melody loves me and you too; they’ll come.” Briana hopped off Veronica’s lap and did three spins in a row, giggling. “Thanks, Mom! I’m going back to the living room, so I’ll be ready when Grandma gets here.” “Don’t forget that your grandmother is in charge of your sleepover. Jane and I will be here, but you’d better not come to ask us for something she’s already said no to.” “Mom!” Briana’s exclamation of shock had little effect on Veronica’s knowing look. Reluctantly, Briana nodded. “That was only one time. But I promise I won’t. Okay, love you, momma. I’m going to watch the door now!” ~~~*~~~ Twenty eons later, or twenty minutes later – who’s to say – Briana heard a car pull up outside the house. An excited squeal burst out of her when the door opened, revealing Grandma and a train of bashful Littles. Grandma Michelle was dressed in a sturdy blue shift dress and looked downright vigorous; her health scare from Christmas seemed well behind her. Briana hugged Grandma, Arthur, Fabi, and Ava, adding a quick kiss to her girlfriend’s hug. They were all dressed Little, too. Arthur was in shortalls that looked like regular overalls that had been cut off and hemmed. He had a backpack over one shoulder and a stuffed tyrannosaurus under his arm. Fabi was in a purple, short-sleeved dress with a crazy amount of lace under her skirt. Her bag was an adorable teddy bear backpack – she had an elephant stuffie clutched in one hand. Ava wore a rainbow tie-dye t-shirt and lime green shorts that didn’t do much to hide her diaper. Her bag was a laundry bag – she looked like she was having trouble managing it, her crutches and her teddy bear Brownie all simultaneously. Briana took Ava’s bag, then Fabi’s and Arthur’s, to not to single her girlfriend out. With an oof from the weight, Briana set the bags by the stairs. “Hi everybody, thanks for coming to my sleepover! We have snacks and juice and anything you want; just ask.” “You’re all welcome to have some snacks, but don’t fill up.” Grandma guided the Littles into sitting positions on the living room rug. “I’ll have lunch for you in a few minutes.” “What’s for lunch?” Fabi asked. “Lefse! You’re going to love it. It’s potato flatbread with butter and sugar.” Briana bounced happily on her padded rear at the chorus of aahs from her friends. “I know you all kinda met at my birthday, but did you get re-introduced in the car if you needed to?” Briana asked. “I can do introductions! Or we can introduce our stuffies.” “We had a chance to talk in the car.” Arthur chuckled. “Your grandma squished us all into the back seat of her car,” Ava said with a giggle. “Also, Brownie has already met your stuffies, but he’d love to meet Athur’s and Fabi’s.” “This is Elle!” Fabi scooted up to Ava, shoving her elephant urgently toward Brownie. “Hi, Ellie,” Ava said for Brownie, waving his paw. “I’m Tommy,” Arthur said in the squeaky falsetto he used for his stuffed tyrannosaurus. Briana giggled and grabbed her stuffed Lioness. “Alanna knows Tommy and Brownie but is very pleased to meet Elle.” “Brownie is a kshatriya, which is kind of like a knight.” Ava declared. “Are Tommy and Elle knights like Alanna is?” “Of course, I’m a knight!” Arthur squeaked for Tommy before switching to his usual bass rumble. “Sorry, Tommy, but you know you can’t pass the qualifications.” With Athur’s help, Tommy had a stomping fit on the Little boy’s leg. “I think Elle can’t pass the tests or whatever either.” Fabi cuddled her elephant close. “She’s not into scary stuff like fighting.” “Then Brownie and Alanna will protect Tommy and Elle if needed.” Briana declared. In response, Ava grinned, scooting over to Briana to bump her hip against Bri’s. The sweet smell of potato pancakes followed Grandma out of the kitchen. Though she had food on the stove, Michelle managed to pour each Little a glass of juice and check their diapers. There were lots of blushy giggles in Grandma’s wake, especially from Ava. When the pancakes arrived, they were as delicious as they’d been the first time Grandma had made them. Savory, sweet, and buttery tastes filled Briana’s mouth with delight and her tummy with warmth. Besides the clinking of plates, the room was quiet as the Littles devoured their lunch. Briana cleared the lunch plates without being asked – because she was the best Little girl ever. While she was doing that, Grandma whisked Ava away for a diaper change, redoubling Ava’s blush. Briana plopped down on the floor between Arthur and Fabi, pulling them both into a hug. “I have to tell you two about something a bit scary that happened to Ava.” Briana was glad to see her friends responding with curiosity rather than nervousness. She had the mellowing power of Lefse to thank for that. “Ava and I were out together the other day and ran into some anti-ABDL protestors. One of them pushed Ava over and hurt her pretty badly.” “What?” Arthur’s jaw dropped, his expression struggling between Big rage and Little Concern. “Is she okay? I mean, she looks okay, but…” Fabi trailed off nervously. “She’s okay now, but it was terrifying; we had to call an ambulance.” Briana sighed. “Don’t make a big deal when she comes out, because she doesn’t like talking about it, but I wanted you to know that mean people are getting aggressive with Littles.” Arthur sighed. “Great, one more thing to deal with in town.” Fabi nodded. “So much for ever going out, now that I’m full-time Little.” “No! We can’t let them win. I have a plan to fix it; we’ll talk about it when Ava gets back.” “Talk about what?” Ava asked, maneuvering deftly on her crutches ahead of Grandma. Briana squirmed out from between her friends in time to pull Ava into a snuggle as she sat. “Fixing what happened to you the other day.” “That reminds me,” Michelle said. “Have you ever heard back from the police, Ava? I know Briana hasn’t.” Ava shook her head. “Not yet, but it’s only been a few days.” “Oh, that won’t do at all.” Michelle pulled her phone out of her purse. “You kids, go ahead with what you were doing. I’m going to give the police chief a call.” Arthur and Fabi looked at Briana in surprise. Before Briana could answer, Ava shrugged at them. “Her family just does stuff like this.” “My family and I have a lot of privilege in this town – and I’m going to put it to good use.” Briana squeezed Ava. “What happened to Ava is not okay. I don’t like seeing protestors or people talking badly about Littles. We’re not hurting anyone. They’re the ones harassing and hurting people.” “What are we supposed to do about it?” Arthur frowned. “It’s not like you can take away people’s right to protest. Even if they’re protesting for something mean.” “Of course not, but we can keep them from hurting people when they do it.” Briana thumped a fist on the rug. “And if we convince people that it’s okay to be Little, they’ll stop protesting alone.” “You’re talking about an activism campaign?” Ava scooted away from Briana, frowning. “Briana, I can’t even see my old friends; I can’t go on TV or whatever!” Fabi whimpered. Arthur kept quiet, but he looked as uncomfortable as Fabi did. “I’m not asking anybody in this room to do public stuff.” Briana looked up at Grandma with a smile. “Well, maybe Grandma. But mostly, it’ll be me and my aunt Kiara – she already said she’d help.” “Then you’re just – warning us that you’re going public about this?” The look on Ava’s face said that they would have to have a big conversation about Briana’s plan. That was okay. Briana knew that she could trust her girlfriend to understand once she explained things properly. “That’s part of it, but I could also really use your help! There’s tons of stuff to do that doesn’t involve showing your names or faces. I’ll need help writing letters, calling people, making lists of people to call, making flyers, keeping track of donations, and all kinda stuff.” “You’ve really thought about this.” Ava looked more thoughtful than uncomfortable – a good sign! “Wow, Bri, that’s a lot. You seem kind of like that day you, um – ran into me downtown and bought me cocoa.” Arthur smiled bashfully. “You mean when I was Big and you were Little? Well, I’m still Little, but I can do this! We don’t forget stuff when we’re Little, right? If anything, I think we understand stuff better.” “I just sit around most of the day when I don’t have a babysitter.” Fabi squirmed, her diaper crinkling. “It’d be fun to have something to do, but I’m not a good organizer.” “You could put letters in envelopes!” Briana grinned to see an eager smile on Fabi’s face. “Yeah, I could! Um, could I put cute stickers on them, or would that mess up the plan?” “That would be perfect!” Briana grinned, reaching out to grab Ava and Arthur’s hands. To her delight, Fabi took Arthur and Ava’s other hands. “We can do this Little-style! So, will you help me, please?” “Of course, we’re friends, right?” Arthur squeezed Briana’s hand. “I’m in for decorating and mailing stuff!” Fabi grinned. “It’s scary that you’re going to be publicly ABDL,” Ava sighed. “If you could be careful when you’re out with me, I’d really appreciate that. Even if it is scary – I’m in.” “Yay! Thank you, everybody! Especially you, Ava, for being super brave. I’ll be as careful as I can, I promise.” Ava rolled her eyes, though she was smiling from ear to ear. “You’re lucky I love you, Looney Tunes.” Briana’s giggle at what she hoped was a new nickname was short-circuited by the phrase immediately preceding the name. “You love me?” Ava ducked her head bashfully. “That just slipped out, but – I guess I do.” “I love you so much!” Briana tackled her girlfriend, giggling madly and kissing her all over her face. Ava laughed back, clinging to Briana until they settled into a loving hug. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” Michelle peeked into the back of Arthur and Fabi’s diapers, getting a squeak out of them. “Ava, I told the police chief that his inaction was disappointing. He knows at least some of the names of people that were protesting, but he didn’t want to bother them.” Grandma tutted disapprovingly at the police chief as she untangled Briana and Ava, checking their diapers in the process. “He’s motivated to bother them now. We should have a name and some charges for the person who pushed you soon, as well as a restraining order.” Ava sighed gratefully, leaning against Michelle’s leg. “Thank you, uh… Ms. Rasmussen?” “You can call me Grandma if you want, dear. All you darling kids can if you want. You’re Briana’s friends, after all.” She clapped her hands dramatically. “Now! You’ve got full bellies and dry diapers. Briana gave me a list of activities for the day, including a movie, a blanket fort, and playing Cloudland. Which would you like to do first?” “We can’t play Cloudland until Melody gets back.” Briana protested. “Then it’ll be one of the other two. We’ll let your friends pick. Ava, Arthur, Fabi, what’ll it be, couch fort or a movie?” “Blanket fort?” Arthur asked excitedly. “Yeah!” Ava and Fabi said together. “Then we need to get the coffee table moved to the side. Some rolled-up mattresses can go in its place. You kids get busy doing that while I get the sheets to drape between the couches.” “Got it, Grandma!” Briana grinned, tugging mightily – and uselessly – on the coffee table. With Arthur’s help, they got it moving smoothly enough that they didn’t spill any snacks. Fabi pulled mattresses into place while Ava rolled them out. The Littles were in a snuggle-pile on those mattresses with their stuffies only a few minutes later. Grandma stretched sheets from couch to couch, pinning them in place. She even put a pillowcase across the entrance between Mom’s armchair and a sofa, making a cute door flap. The inside of the fort took on a dreamy blue and green hue from the sun filtering through the sheets. “Fabi, get the snacks!” Briana fished an arm through the sheet-walls to pull the rest of her round-table into the fort. “This is so fun.” Arthur giggled. “I wish we could sleep under here tonight.” Ava nodded eagerly. “That is the best idea!” Briana kissed her girlfriend soundly on the cheek before looking up to shout at the sheet-ceiling. “Grandma, can we sleep in the fort instead of Melody’s room like we planned?” “You don’t need to shout, Little Rose. I heard you and Ava both just fine.” Grandma chuckled. “Ava’s idea is a great one. We’ll get your sleeping bags in there when it’s bedtime.” Resuming their cuddle pile, the Littles munched on chips and gave their stuffies a dance party. Briana was feeling extra snuggly regarding Ava after her girlfriend’s declaration of love. Happily, Ava was the same. They stayed spooned together every minute that they played in the fort. The sleepover was already the bestest fun since Briana’s birthday and promised to get even better when Melody arrived. Through all the snuggles and laughs they were sharing, Briana’s heart overflowed with love for all three of her friends. Protecting them and their magical time together was more important than ever. Briana couldn’t imagine the kind of person who could object to the fun they were having as Littles – but she knew they were out there. That’s okay! I’ll change their minds as quickly as Grandma changes my diapers!

Hey folks, sorry I haven't posted in a bit. Things have gotten a bit crazy in my life. My spouse is going in for surgery this Friday, so I probably won't have chapters for a couple of weeks, but I hope to be back soon. 😧

Ava is checked out for the aftermath of her attack, and takes refuge with friends and family. ----- 17 Little Adjustments The doctor’s office was a Type-III. It had the fancy but informal decoration style of a specialist’s private practice but was well worn from age. Ava was perched on the only up to date furniture in the room, a sanitized exam table. For days with fewer tests, she preferred to curl up in one of the small armchairs that sat kitty-corner between the exam table and the doctor’s small desk. There was a window too high to look out of or into and a spider plant trailing down a cast iron coat rack. As offices went, Ava found it better for comfort than a Type-IV, which was the same thing as a Type-II but new. Both were preferable to a Type-II, which was a regular clinical office with its almost-white walls and blue-speckled linoleum. The higher-numbered types, like community health clinics (Type-VI) and dedicated procedure centers (Type VII), were much further down the comfort scale. Type I’s – hospitals – were just a no in all ways, but at the top of the chart because they were inevitable. For Ava to pick out details of the exam room she was in and map it to her classification system meant she’d been in the room alone for a while. The doctor was busy, but she couldn’t complain. It was at least partially her fault. After her adventures in not breathing, the doctor had kindly fitted her into an already packed schedule. A knock on the door was followed by Dr. Adams making her entrance. She was an older lady but showed no signs of slowing down. Ava was glad for that. She didn’t know what she’d do if she couldn’t ask her grandmotherly, white-haired, broad-bodied tank of a doctor for help. “Hi, Dr. Adams.” “Sorry to keep you waiting, Ava. You know you can call me Leda if you want.” Leda plopped her laptop on the desk and tapped away on the keys. “I know. I’m feeling – not confident today, I guess.” The breezy exam gown Ava was wearing contributed to that feeling, but the real culprit was the medical pullup she was wearing. After all the ABDL stuff she’d been doing with Briana, the pullup’s lack of cute print was no barrier to feeling Little. “That’s understandable after your incident.” Leda put a hand on Ava’s arm, gently squeezing her. “Do you feel like your body betrayed you?” “All my body does is betray me, bit by bit.” Ava sighed. “There’s some good news.” Leda turned the computer so that Ava could see her EKG readout. “Your heart function is strong. Cognitive tests came back as sharp as ever. I know that’s important to you.” Ava breathed a sigh of relief. “It is. But what about – my bladder?” Leda smiled sympathetically. “You’ve lost some function there. It’s not enough to list incontinence as a diagnosis, but there’s been negative progression on your partial continence.” My girlfriend doesn’t care if I wear diapers. She’s rich, pretty, and – has a boyfriend. Blinking away tears, Ava plucked at the waistband of her pullup. “You’re saying it’s a good idea for me to wear these more.” “I’d suggest it any time you’re going out of the house for a significant period, mostly to avoid embarrassment.” Dr. Adams’ face was so kind and sympathetic that Ava couldn’t be mad at her. She wanted to be angry. Nothing would feel better than screaming and imagining throwing rocks at Lord Hanuman’s temple – for five minutes anyway. Past that, the bitterness would only make Ava feel worse. She’d fallen into that trap many times before growing out of it. “Are you suggesting that to the point of being willing to prescribe them?” Leda nodded. “I’ve been willing to do that to help you with the cost for a while.” “I guess – go ahead and write the prescription.” A trio of tears dripped onto Ava’s exam gown. It was a slight loss, but she was in a battle where you didn’t get victories. All you could do was delay the losses as much as possible. “Done.” Leda stood up and gave Ava a hug that she gratefully leaned into. “Do you have someone to pick you up? I’d hate to see you go home alone, as you’re feeling today.” “Rohan is supposed to pick me up, and I have Ollie waiting in the lobby.” “Good.” Leda gave Ava another squeeze before packing up her laptop. “I know today was bad news, but overall, your progression is excellent. You’ve got many good years ahead of you, Ava; you’re lucky in that regard.” Not as lucky as people who get the full set of years – but she’s right. “I know, thanks, Dr. Adams.” “Can I help you get down from the examining table or help you get dressed?” “Just hand me my crutches, please. I want to do the rest myself.” “I’m proud of you,” Leda said, handing Ava her crutches. “It’s not easy to put in the work every day, but that’s a big part of why you’re doing so well.” ~~~*~~~ To no one’s surprise, Ollie offered to accompany Rohan and Ava back to Ava’s apartment. Ollie’s concern was less about Ava’s bad news and more that Rohan’s shoulders would go un-oggled, but she appreciated the company anyway. Her brother’s height, shoulders, and classic Indian good looks had captivated many of her friends. Ava was used to it. Having friends crush on her big brother was a fair trade for Rohan being such a good big brother. Case in point, when they arrived at Ava’s apartment, Rohan helped her out of the car but didn’t offer to carry or help her in the door. He stuck close enough that he’d be able to catch her at the slightest tumble but didn’t make it obvious. Instead, he teased Ollie in their ongoing game of “let’s wind Ollie up about his crush on Rohan.” “Servant boy.” Rohan tossed Ava’s keys to Ollie. “Open the door for us; that’s a good lad.” Ollie caught the keys, rolling his eyes. “Why do I let you treat me like that?” “Because you’re such a good person,” Rohan smirked. “You’re personally making up for decades of British imperialism.” “Yeah, that’s the reason.” Ava giggled, nodding to Ollie imperiously when he held the door for her. While Rohan let Mango out of his cage, Ava went to the kitchen. “Are you two hungry? I’ll fix some lunch.” Ollie bit his lip in concern. “It’s okay, you don’t have to…” “Tangi, great idea,” Rohan said, using the Kannada word for sister as he always did. He flopped onto Ava’s couch. “What are we having?” Opening the fridge on crutches was always awkward – Ava didn’t bother with the crisper drawers at the bottom. Two plastic containers – one full of delicious brown-sauced pork, the other a thin white batter – were within easy reach. “I have some coorgi pandi left over. There’s batter ready for neer dosa. The dosa will be ready by the time the pandi heats up.” Ignoring Ollie’s hovering, Ava put a pot and pan on the stove, grabbing an onion and vegetable oil. “Delicious!” Rohan declared. “Dosa? Don’t you have to stand for a while to fry those?” Ollie’s voice was full of concern – annoying concern. “If you’re going to complain, you can help instead.” Rohan had Mango on his forearm and was feeding him bits of dried fruit. “Heat the pandi – but no snacking until lunch is ready.” “No promises.” Ollie dumped the spicy, curried pork into the pot and turned on the burner. “Is this your mom’s pandi?” “It’s her recipe, but I made it.” Ava set up a station for cooking her dosa. Next to her pan was the batter, with the oil and sliced onion on the other side. On the counter but still within reach was the cooling plate. After ensuring she was well-braced on her crutches, she waited for the pan to heat. “Oh, Ollie won’t like it then.” Rohan chuckled. “That’s slander.” Ollie stirred the curry slowly. He didn’t need to, but it kept him in the kitchen in case Ava needed anything. He might be more annoying than Rohan with how he watched over her, but Ava appreciated it all the same. Not that she’d admit that to Ollie. He’d go way overboard if he thought she liked having someone on standby. “Amma’s pandi,” Ava said, slipping into the Kannada word for mom in her brother’s presence. “Is really good. I’m not offended – much.” “Yours is better.” Rohan grinned at Ava. “As long as you never tell Amma that. Ollie doesn’t have the experience to tell the difference.” “Are you sure about that? How many dinners have you eaten at my parents’ house, Ollie?” Ava grinned up at her friend. “It’s not my fault I was born into a British food family,” Ollie laughed. He’d always been a fan of her amma’s cooking. Though the number of dinner invitations he’d contrived to get went up significantly after Rohan had his high school growth spurt. The banter and the meal were a slice of home that greatly warmed the sad spots in Ava’s heart. She dropped oil into the pan, rubbed it across the non-stick surface with the onion, and poured her batter. As always, lacy gaps formed in the rice batter, which she quickly filled before putting a lid on the pan. Thin as a crepe, the dosa almost drifted onto the cooling plate. Ava oiled the pan again, poured more batter, and folded her freshly cooled dosa. Around the third dosa, Rohan came into the kitchen to give Ava a hug and Ollie a noogie. He left with plates and cups to set the table with. The three of them were seated in front of a stack of delicate dosa and a pot of glorious-smelling pandi long before Ava’s legs could tremble. Without Ollie present, Ava would have asked her brother about his boyfriend, Neil. Given how enthusiastically Ollie was praising her pandi, Ava took mercy on her friend and asked, “So what’s new with you two? I feel like we haven’t hung out in forever.” “That’s because all your time is going to your new friend,” Ollie said through a mouthful of pandi-topped dosa. Rohan good-naturedly tossed a napkin at Ollie’s mouth. “New friend? This is the first I’m hearing,” Rohan said. “Her name is Briana, she’s uh – a girlfriend, I think.” Ava kept her eyes on her plate to avoid the boys’ reactions. “You think she’s a girlfriend?” Ollie had the good manners to ask with his mouth empty. “Tangi, I’m curious too.” “I figured you would be, Anna.” Using the Kannada word for older brother with Rohan felt natural- and Little. Still padded and proudly dry, Ava was halfway into that headspace anyway. “It’s complicated because she’s poly – and has a boyfriend.” “Is that okay? I don’t think you’ve dated anyone poly before.” Rohan put his big arm across Ava’s shoulders. “I don’t know; I’m still figuring it out.” Ava sighed. “You dated a poly guy once, Ollie, but we didn’t discuss it much. Any advice?” “Uh, I don’t have a lot of super useful advice. We were gay dating, not lesbian dating. There weren’t so many long walks in the park. It's more like getting texted, “You up?” at eleven at night.” “That’s not how lesbian dating is.” Ava stuck her tongue out at Ollie. “You didn’t even mention flannels.” “You’ll need to communicate a lot,” Rohan said. “And you can still get hurt. What about this girl makes her so special?” “She’s…” Ava munched on her lunch while she tried to find a way to describe Briana’s effusive Little personality without bringing up ABDL. “Briana is the most open, enthusiastic person I’ve ever met. She’s all or nothing – once she decided we were friends, she was in my life.” “In a good way, though?” Rohan asked. “Yeah, I don’t mean she was pushy – well, she was a bit pushy – but I couldn’t resist hanging out with her. She’s a lot of fun.” Ava leaned against her brother, taking refuge from bad memories in his strength. “Also, she’s tiny, but she shouted down the mob that knocked me over.” “That’s brave. Crazy, but brave. I’m glad she didn’t get hurt too.” Ollie saluted Briana with his water glass. “You sound like you’re falling for her.” Rohan squeezed Ava and returned to his lunch. “Does she know that?” “I don’t know. She’s already said she loves me – and said I didn’t have to say it back, but it feels weird not to.” “I’ll get your apartment packed up.” Ollie chuckled. “There, was that the right stereotype?" “Yes, very good.” Ava chuckled. “I don’t know what to do with her. I like her, but she’s such a pain in the ass. The first time I met her, I thought she was this ditzy rich girl who’d never been to the crazy mansion I was looking after.” “She’s a Rasmussen?” Rohan raised his brows. “Don’t start with your poly-sci stuff, Anna. Yes, she is, she’s adopted. Like, within the year. So she’d never been to the mansion for a good reason, but she still belongs to a mansion-owning family.” “I don’t think Appa and Amma would hate that about her.” Rohan chuckled. “So she’s Michelle’s daughter?” “No – Veronica’s.” Ava rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you know more about my girlfriend’s family than I do.” “Veronica? Michelle’s daughter is her mom? How old is Briana?” “My age. She’s in Microbio.” Ava threw up her hands at Rohan. “Don’t ask. It’s a whole thing, I don’t get how their family works.” Ollie was watching Ava suspiciously. She was sure he didn’t believe her and had an idea of how it worked for Briana to be Veronica’s daughter. Thankfully, he wasn’t the sort that would out her as ABDL to her brother. “I guess old money can do however they like.” Rohan shrugged. “It works the same way in India. Rules are for us peasants.” “If you’re a peasant, how do you get away with calling me servant boy?” Ollie grinned triumphantly. “That’s how low your station is.” Rohan laughed. Ava joined in, glad for the topic-switching save. “Nobody answered my question; what’s going on with you two?” “I’m thinking of hopping companies again,” Rohan said. “Where are you going next? Google? Amazon?” Ollie asked. “Neil and I are considering getting into a startup with our friends.” “Isn’t that risky?” Ava frowned. “It could be, but we have a lot of money saved up.” Rohan shrugged. “If it pans out, I wouldn’t have to work for a few years.” “Yeah, but a startup in Boston?” Ollie shook his head in mock disapproval. “Shouldn’t you move to San Francisco for that? You could make a thing of it, get an apartment in The Castro.” “Living vicariously through me again?” Rohan winked. “The Castro is way more your neighborhood." "I have to live my truth – so I’m either moving there or to Hell’s Kitchen when my doctorate is done.” “Because those places have a lot of work for Psychology post-docs?” Ava giggled. “They’re big cities, and gays are notoriously in need of therapy. I’ll become a counselor or something.” “Or something?” Ava poked Ollie in his side. “I have at least two years before my dissertation is done. Plenty of time to figure things out.” “Speaking of time…” Rohan got up from the table with his plate in hand. “You have to go back already?” Ava sighed. “Sorry, Tangi, I do.” Rohan leaned down to nuzzle Ava’s head. “Ollie, do you need a ride anywhere?” “I’d just take you in the wrong direction, and I have some errands to run downtown. Thanks, though, Rohan.” “I’m glad you’re okay, Ava.” Rohan returned from rinsing his plate off to hug Ava. “The police had better find the guy who pushed you over.” “Briana used the power of her family name when talking to the cops, so I think they will.” “Good.” Rohan ruffled Ollie’s hair. “I’ve got to go, or I’ll be late. Take care, Ava, and call us if anything else happens.” Ava and Ollie waved goodbye as Rohan left, both sighing the same wistful sigh when the door closed – though for entirely different reasons. “Okay, Ava, I’ve gotta ask – that Veronica that’s Briana’s mom – is she the same Veronica Rasmussen that’s a post-doc in psych? The one working on ABDL therapy?” “I guess?” Ava blushed and sat back in her chair. “I didn’t ask her mom what she did for work when she uh – was uh…” “Babying you?” Ollie chuckled as he gathered up the rest of the plates. “Changing me.” Ava looked down at her shoes. Thankfully, Ollie didn’t scoff, even as a joke. “Huh, so Briana is like her test subject or…?” “Veronica loves Briana. I don’t know how they met or how Briana got into ABDL, but – it’s obvious how much Veronica loves her.” “I’m just saying, is she going to experiment on you?” “Ollie, don’t. I got bad news related to that from the doctor. She said – I should have protection on all the time now.” “Oh, hell. I’m sorry, Ava.” Ollie was by her side in a flash, holding her tightly. “Thanks. I didn’t want to – to…” “I know.” Ollie bonked his head gently against Ava’s. “Brightside, though, it’s not a problem for your girlfriend or her mom.” “Yeah. I guess – she has incontinence issues, too. We have that in common, I guess. Woo.” “You want someone to hang out with for the rest of the day? I can do my errands some other day.” Ollie picked up the rest of the dishes, rinsing them in the sink. “No, it’s okay. Thank you. I need to relax. Maybe I’ll call Briana.” “The offer’s open any time.” “Thanks, Ollie. You know, you’re a good friend for a horrible, bitchy queen.” “You’re a good friend too. For a baby.” Ollie laughed at the same time Ava did. “Honestly, though, Ollie – Hell’s Kitchen?” “I wanna be in the center of it all!” Ollie did his best flaming voice, complete with an equally flamboyant pose. Once he’d gotten a laugh from Ava, he dropped the pose and switched back to his regular voice. “What about you? Any plans after your dissertation?” “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll stay here. It’s friendly to ABDLs – or used to be. Ardenthill has good resources, and I could try for a postdoc position in the department.” “I thought you wanted to move to Boston to be closer to Rohan.” Ollie peeked out from the kitchen with a big grin. “Maybe there’s someone else you want to be close to? Someone whose name begins with a B?” “Maybe. Plus, if I have to always wear protection, I might as well have fun with it.” Ava looked over at Ollie nervously. “Right?” “Yeah, dummy. Of course, that’s right. Whatever makes you happy, go for it!” “I don’t know if it does, but it’s worth a shot.” With her legs giving her a warning tremble, Ava made her way to the couch and took a seat with her feet up on the cushions. “Thanks for cleaning up lunch.” “It’s the least I could do, you cooked.” Ollie came over for a hug before grabbing his backpack. “If you need anything, text or call. The Ollie Express isn’t far away.” “If I need to, I will, but I should be fine. Thanks, Ollie.” “See you, Ava.” The door closed, leaving Mango and Ava on their own. Not that Mango was good company at the moment. Rohan had overfed him snacks – he was sleeping on his perch with a chonky belly. Though she was enjoying the silence, talking about Briana so much had Ava missing her girlfriend. She snuggled under a lap blanket and sent her girlfriend a text. The reply came back near-instantly, full of rainbow and cat emojis. Ava giggled and settled down for a chat with her silly girl.

Briana's not going to take all this anti ABDL stuff lying down! 16 A Big Plan is Planned Monserrat came to the rescue, just like Briana knew she would. She was brave, strong, and super kind to Ava. Their utter disaster of an afternoon became a chance to see Ava’s apartment and snuggle with her. Plus, there were cookies! It wasn’t the date Briana and Ava had planned, but it felt good. When Mom and Dad arrived, they had hugs for Ava as well as Briana. It was good to see her girlfriend getting comfortable with her parents. It’d also be nice if she could get comfortable faster. The tiny peck Briana got for a goodbye kiss showed Ava had a long way to go to be really comfortable. On the ride home from Ava’s house, Briana was struck by how horrible the encounter at the bus stop had been and how wonderful her afternoon with Ava was. There was no reason for those people to be mean about ABDL. It was super wrong for that man to push Ava over. Even if she hadn’t been disabled, it would have been wrong. The unfair feeling of having to feel afraid of people – because of something harmless about herself – grew until Briana was gripping her car-seat in righteous anger. If she was scared in public, how much worse was it for Arthur, who was black too? Or Ava, who Briana had thoughtlessly pushed to be Little in public at her birthday party. There was Fabi, who had been so excited to go to that birthday party – because she never left her house after becoming a full-time Little. “Briana, is something wrong?” Dad looked back at Briana from the passenger seat. Jane was as calm as ever, but Briana knew her well enough to see the concern in her dad’s eyes. “Yes, Daddy! There’s a big injustice, and I have to fix it!” “The police are working on it, Baby Bee,” Mom said from the driver’s seat. “I’m quite impressed with how well you handled that police officer. It will take them time to find the man who hurt Ava, even if they take the case seriously.” “No, not that part. I mean, yes, that part, but that’s not enough! I have to do something about all the ABDL hate that’s happening.” Mom and Dad looked at each other with that look they shared when they wanted to be supportive – but were going to say no. Veronica took a deep breath and began with, “Baby Bee…” “No. Mom.” “Excuse me, young lady?” There was danger in Veronica’s tone. Briana forged stubbornly ahead into the danger. “You said Aunt Kiara could give me lessons. She said I had to pick something to work on. I’m texting her right now to tell her I found my thing.” “Ah, then that should be fine.” Jane sat back in her seat as if the matter was settled. To Briana’s surprise, Veronica nodded in agreement. “You’re not going to try and talk me out of it?” “First off, Briana, you’re incapable of steamrolling my sister. I don’t think anyone could do that to her. If she agrees to help you, it’ll be because she believes it’s a good thing to do and is prepared to support you.” Veronica caught Briana’s eye in the rear-view mirror and smiled at her. “I think I can speak for your mother when I say we weren’t trying to stop you from helping people.” Jane reached back and patted Briana’s leg. “Though I have some worries about you taking on a cause that so many people are angry about, I’m glad to see you asking for help – this time.” “Daddy, you said you’d stop bringing up the time I got frostbite!” “Indeed.” Jane chuckled. “It was you that brought it up.” “Nuh-uh! Daddy! You’re not being fair.” “Briana, don’t get yourself into a fussy state. You’ll have much more success asking for Kiara’s help if you ask her like a big girl,” Veronica said. “I’ll check her diaper when we get home,” Dad said. “Daddy! That’s not why I’m upset.” ~~~*~~~ Despite her protests, Briana got a diaper change and put in her crib for some “quiet time” before dinner. Quiet time was code for Mom wanting Briana to take a nap but not wanting to argue about it. That meant no phone, books, or toys other than her stuffies. It was the perfect example of why Big thinking was flawed sometimes. Mom didn’t appreciate what Briana could do as a Princess of Cloudland, especially with her most loyal knights in attendance. While Alanna assembled and inspected the knights – the Lioness was always much bigger on inspections than Briana was – Briana squeezed a shoulder through her crib bars to grab her tiara. It was sitting on top of her toybox within reach – unlike the rest of her princess costume, which was hanging in her closet. Technically, Briana had not left her crib. Also, though the tiara had been in her toybox, it was part of a dress-up costume, not a toy. Satisfied that she was well within the letter of Quiet Time law, Briana put on her Tiara. Now, with a fancy accessory for her basic cream-colored onesie, the Princess addressed her knights. “Loyal Knights of the Round Table, I speak to you now as your Princess, not as a fellow knight.” Briana was proud of that speech – she’d practiced it on the car ride. Unfortunately, her wet diaper had been a distraction, meaning she was at the end of her prepared statements. Luckily, Knight Captain Alanna stepped in to assure Princess Briana that she and the other stuffie knights were awaiting her orders. Quietly thanking her bosom stuffie, Briana felt her thoughts fall into place. “I do not come to give orders but with a higher purpose. You should all know that the visiting princess – and my new girlfriend – Ava, was attacked today in town!” The stuffies gasped! Sir Mimsey, the bat, squeaked so loudly that she went into ultrasonic. Arnold the Pangolin was scribbling something about Briana having a new girlfriend for his gossip column – but at least Arnold the Pangolin was shocked, if not precisely for the right reason. “Yes, it’s true. And no, Sir Arnold the Pangolin, I will not do a tell-all interview. Sir Arnold the Pangolin is supposed to be a knight right now, not a reporter.” Briana took a deep breath. “Anyway, this wasn’t an isolated incident, and it wasn’t a creature from the Cloudland world like a rakshasi. The attack was part of a movement of people being mean to Littles.” Briana got up on her knees, wishing she had her sword for the dramatic moment – but the sword was clearly a toy and therefore not allowed during Quiet Time. Besides, she had told her stuffies she wasn’t acting as a knight. “I call the Round Table to a quest! This quest is the most important one since rescuing Melody at Thanksgiving. We cannot fail.” Alanna looked uncomfortable, though she was too disciplined to say anything in front of the other knights. Briana figured she would get an earful from her lioness about that Thanksgiving quest – but things were different this time. No one was going to get frostbite in the spring, for one thing. Briana’s bedroom door opened, revealing the crucial reason the Quest to Save All Littles differed from the Quest to Save Melody. “This is an interesting nap technique.” Kiara stepped up to the crib and kissed Briana’s forehead. “Am I interrupting a meeting?” “Not at all! You came at a perfect time, Auntie.” Briana hopped up, leaning over her crib bars to give Kiara a big hug. Her aunt was wearing a dress of rumpled blue silk, subtly printed with pale purple flowers. It was a great look for an opera or something high-society-ish, though, to Briana’s knowledge, that kind of thing was usually in the evenings. “I’m glad to see you too, sweetie.” Kiara hugged Briana tightly. “Are you going to introduce me to your meeting, or is it adjourned?” “As Princess of Cloudland, I’d be happy to introduce you. This is most of my Round Table. You already know Knight Captain Alanna, but this is Sir Arnold the Pangolin, Sir Chuck, Sir Mimsey, and Sir Alanna’s squire, Beartholomew.” Briana touched each stuffie in turn, taking advantage of the introduction to end with another hug for Kiara. “And this is Kiara, my aunt, and the Rasmussen Matriarch.” “Very regal.” Kiara scooped Briana out of her crib by her padded rear, setting her down with only a small grunt of effort. “What’s on the meeting agenda?” “The Quest to Save All the Littles in Ardenthill.” Briana looked proudly up at her aunt, undaunted by the foot of difference in their heights. “I thought that’s what you were talking about in your text message.” Kiara took a seat in the story-reading chair next to Briana’s crib. “I think you might be too Little to have that discussion now, though." “No, that’s Big thinking. I can be Little and save all my friends.” “I wish you could, sweetie, but clothes and attitudes are important when changing people’s minds.” Kiara pulled Briana into her lap. “Vonnie told me about another quest you went on. You had the wrong clothes on, and you got frostbite.” “Everyone’s bringing that one up today. I apologized and learned from it already; it’s not fair.” “Then you still need to apply the lesson to your new goal.” Kiara stroked Briana’s hair. “Confronting people who aren’t ready to see a grown woman in diapers is going to make them angrier than they already are. They’ll say awful things to you. Things that will get frostbite on your heart.” “I wear diapers all the time. If I can’t do this in diapers, I can’t do it at all.” Briana hit Kiara with her biggest pouty-lip. “Your diapers aren’t always obvious, and your behavior isn’t always Little. I’m happy to help you with this, sweetie, but it will be hard enough with you tackling it as a Big girl. I don’t see a chance for success if you’re trying to convince people when you’re Little.” “Aunt Kiara, that doesn’t feel right. I’m not ashamed of who I am.” “I’m not either – but there was a time when I didn’t get to wear my hair naturally like I do now. Even with our family connections, this country was a different place ten years ago. I had to straighten my hair to be taken seriously.” Kiara sighed grimly. “I didn’t like it and still don’t like that I had to do it. But I did what I had to do to get in a position where I could make a change.” “Grandma couldn’t fix it for you?” “She might have been able to if she’d come to every one of my events. Even then, I’m not sure. It doesn’t matter because I had things I wanted to accomplish as my own woman, as Kiara Rasmussen, not as Michelle Rasmussen’s daughter.” Briana sighed. “I still don’t like it. I’m not saying that this is like the way you were treated, or the way black people were treated in general – but it still feels wrong.” “You don’t have to like it, baby girl.” Kiara bounced one leg gently under Briana. “But what’s more important to you – showing the world you’re not ashamed of being Little or making Ardenthill safe for all the Littles that live here?” “The second one.” Briana rolled her eyes. “Okay, so how do I do it?” “Do you think you can be Big right now to discuss it?” “Um – I’ll try.” Briana flopped against Kiara, tucking her head under her aunt’s chin. “I was Big all day at school and had to be super big to help Ava.” “This isn’t something we can fix in a day, or even a month, probably. Let’s work on it tomorrow afternoon when you have more energy.” “What are we going to do until dinner if we can’t plan?” Kiara grinned. “Well, Rosa’s at her derby practice, but before she left, she asked Vonnie and me to make sure Melody takes a break. Can you get Little enough to help your sibling relax?” “Ohmygoshyesfinally!” Briana bounced excitedly on Kiara’s lap. “That’s my darling niece.” Kiara smiled. “Go find your sibling, but be careful on the stairs. You won't get to play if you fall down the stairs.” Briana was out of her bedroom like a shot! She slid to the top of the stairs on the hardwood balcony, took the stairs excruciatingly carefully, and barreled into Melody’s bedroom. “Sib! Sib! It’s time to play!” Melody looked up from their computer with tired annoyance. There were bags under their eyes, like an exhausted Big! No wonder Tia Rosa had mandated a break. As far as Briana was concerned, it should have come much earlier. “Bri, come on, Mom and Mamá both said you can’t bust in here when I’m working and interrupt me.” “Well, your Mamá said you have to take a break today.” Briana folded her arms smugly. “Nuh-uh.” Melody’s protest lacked confidence. The guilty look they gave when Kiara came into the room meant they knew their doom was sealed. “She said I should probably take one.” “Well, she told me to make sure you take a break.” Kiara stepped over to Melody and pulled open the back of their sweatpants waistband. “And to check your pullup.” “Hey!” Melody blushed, cringing away from Kiara. Melody’s scarlet face could mean only one thing – not only would they play, but Briana’s sib was a potty-pants! It was such a welcome return to the blissful days before Christmas that Briana almost cried. Her diaper got damp instead of her cheeks, which was fine. It was more than acceptable because it gave Briana something in common with her sib. “That’s a soaked pullup. You know the rules, Little One. If you’re that wet, you get a diaper until bedtime.” Kiara took Melody’s hand. Wisely, Melody didn’t resist being led to the drawing room changing table. Briana crawled along, speedrunning – as Melody would say – a trip into Littlespace. “I was hyper-focusing. I’m almost done with the reporting system for my app.” Melody sighed, confining their protests to the verbal sphere as they climbed onto the changing table. “I didn’t have time for the potty.” “Well, now you have to make time for a diaper change and play with your sister.” Kiara wasted no time stripping off Melody’s sweats and sopping pullup. It was good that Tia Rosa hadn’t seen the way Melody was leaking onto their sweats – her sib might have gotten spanked! “Okay, but then I have to…” “After that is dinner; when that’s done, your mamá will be home from practice. She’s going to be in charge of your evening from there.” “Well – okay.” Melody’s sagging into defeated obedience made total sense to Briana. It was tough to argue with someone with authority while they were wiping pee off your butt. The diaper that came on after didn’t instill authoritative feelings either. What the diaper did do was rekindle a gleam in Melody’s eye that Briana had sorely missed. The sibling that came down from the changing table was much sillier than the one that’d gone up. Briana got tackled – and tickled – and didn’t breathe a word of protest through her helpless giggles. They didn’t play anything elaborate like Cloudland. Despite that, it was the most fun Briana had had since her birthday. As Kiara sat on the drawing room couch with an amused look on her face, Briana and Melody chased each other around, playing silly games like Doggie (Melody was the doggie, as always), Super Space Dolls (Briana’s new Barbies had been transported to an alien planet the first time Melody played with them), and Chase the Bouncy Ball. Their last game left them both sweat-soaked and laughing, lying across each other on the floor. “What’s this project you’re always working on, Sib?” Briana nuzzled Melody’s sweaty cheek. “Ugh, it’s some dumb thing that I stupidly made open source, and now it has a whole community and whatever I can’t let down.” “Why don’t you let them take it over if you don’t like it?” “Because they’d make it wrong.” “That doesn’t make any sense. If you don’t like working on it, then…” “Hey, Auntie, Briana’s diaper is more than just sweaty.” “That sounded like tattling, Melody,” Kiara smirked. “I’m just taking care of my little sister.” Melody’s faux-innocent expression made Briana roll her eyes. “Don’t think I didn’t see what you did there!” Briana’s fine, strident statement ended in a squeak as Kiara heaved her onto the changing table. “What, you mean make it so you don’t have to sit in a wet diaper for all of dinner? You know Grandma’s coming over; it’s going to be a long one.” “Fine, don’t tell me about your dumb project.” Briana crossed her arms as Kiara tore the tapes on her diaper. “I don’t care.” “Good.” “Good!” “Good!” “GOOD!” “Okay, kids, that’s enough.” Kiara popped a pacifier in Briana’s mouth. She didn’t have one handy for Melody, but the look she gave Mel was enough to shut them down just as effectively. Tuckered out from chasing a bouncy ball and with bigger issues to worry about than Melody’s coding project, Briana closed her eyes and relaxed into Kiara’s gentle diaper change. She’d have to ration her big-ness tomorrow to keep enough to have a proper strategy session with her aunt. Then Ava, Arthur, Fabi, and the rest of the Littles would never have to be scared again!

I will do! For some reason I'm not getting reply notifications anymore, but that won't stop me. 😁 Also, every story is a bit better with some Monchi in it. 💜

And now we take a brief side trip to the AB: Sitter series to follow our distressed baby girls. ---- 9 Ava – Monserrat Emergency Services The ABDU undergraduate library was a haven of warm wooden panels, natural light, and book smell. Monserrat was enjoying a rare moment of studying within the bounds of her hectic life. It wasn’t enough to be an engineering student; she also had to play sports. On top of both, she had a highly demanding job for her ABDL clients and an equally demanding ABDL wife named Jenna – or Jenny, depending on how Little she was feeling. Of all of those, Monserrat’s wife was the priority. Picking a second priority was tricky, however. It wasn’t always clear if excelling in school or her job supported Monserrat’s priorities the best. At the moment, she was dealing with the unwelcome feeling of struggling in her Basic Architectural Principles class. So much so that when an urgent request came through her work app – for a prior client at that – Monserrat hit decline without even looking at the name. No sooner had she turned back to studying the formula for the strength of an arch than her phone buzzed again. The same client had upgraded their request to an emergency. Rolling her eyes, Monserrat deigned to read the client’s name. Brianna Rasmussen. Damn. Her mom is why I can flex my class times to whatever I need. Can’t exactly turn down a red alert from her. “This is Monserrat.” Monserrat tried to pitch her voice low and got a few annoyed looks from her fellow students for answering a call in the study center. With a sigh, Monserrat threw her book in her backpack and headed for the nearest exit. “Monserrat? It’s Briana Rasmussen. Thank you so much for picking up.” Briana sounded seriously distressed. “You have a babysitting emergency?” Monserrat shouldered out the exit door into a beautiful spring day. Part of her wished she could have finished studying – another part was glad to be out of the library and into the sun. Saving some baby girls would be a bonus on top of that. “Yes, it’s an emergency. My girlfriend got hurt and had an accident. The EMTs just left, but we need a babysitter for the second part.” “EMTs? Briana, are you sure you need me? Should you be at the hospital?” “Ava won’t go to the hospital; she says they can’t help, and she looks much better. But she had a potty accident, and she’s really sad.” Briana had started out sounding Big, but she was getting more Little in tone by the second. “Please, Monchi, Mom and Dad are in a big meeting. We need the best babysitter ever.” Monserrat chuckled. “Well, you called the best babysitter ever. I'll be there in five minutes if you’re at the map pin you sent with your request.” Excited Little girl noises followed. Monserrat indulged Briana until she reached her car. Verbally prying the Little girl off the phone was accomplished by the simple method of promising that they could, in fact, have cookies. After an ambulance-worthy injury, providing cookies was the least Monserrat was prepared to spoil the girls. ~~~*~~~ There was no ambulance with the Little girls when Monserrat arrived, but a police car was parked next to the little bus stop they’d taken shelter in. Monserrat parked behind the officer, stepping out of her white SUV to survey the scene. They were in the downtown center, surrounded by picturesque buildings alternating between red brick and colonial white. Happily, there wasn’t too much of an audience – just a few onlookers peering over from a few buildings down. An Indian girl that Monserrat presumed was Ava was sitting on the ground in a gray sweatsuit with a wet patch on her crotch. A pair of brace crutches sat neatly next to her. She looked miserable. Briana was surprisingly all in black, including some dramatic gothic makeup that had made tear trails down her cheeks. She was addressing the police officer, who was listening with a surprisingly deferential expression. “He pushed her right over, even though he could see that she was on crutches. He wanted to hurt her, Officer.” Briana drew herself up to her full five-foot-nothing. “And I did not like that! My mom and dad aren’t going to like it either when I tell them. Neither is my aunt or my grandma. The whole Rasmussen family will be upset about this and want that man found.” Despite Briana's childish, almost petulant tone, the police officer tipped his hat to her. “I hear you loud and clear, Miss. I will radio this report straight to the Captain; he asked to be notified.” “Thank you, Officer…” Briana went up on tiptoe to get a better look at the policeman’s name badge. “Jameson. You’ve been a big help. I won’t forget, and I’ll make sure to tell my family how good a policeman you are.” “I appreciate that, Miss Rasmussen.” The policeman looked over Briana at Monserrat as she approached. “Ma’am, can I help you?” Briana turned and grinned at Monserrat, throwing herself into a hug around Monchi’s waist. “This is Monserrat, Officer, she’s a friend. She’s going to take Ava and me home.” “That’s good to hear. I'm pleased to meet you, ma’am.” The officer’s manner was polite to the point of obsequiousness. As a woman of color, Monserrat didn’t know how to handle it. She’d had interactions with the police before, but never as remotely polite as her current situation. The most Monserrat could manage was a polite nod back. “Let’s get you taken care of,” Monserrat said to Briana. “Can you introduce me to Ava?” Monserrat put him and his manner out of her mind, with the policeman heading back to his car. She knelt by Ava and held out her hand. “Ava, this is Monserrat. Monserrat, this is Ava. She’s my girlfriend, and she’s feeling Little and had the worst, scariest day ever.” Briana plopped down next to Ava and put an arm around the anxious-looking girl. “Hi, Monserrat.” Ava had more than Littlespace nervousness on her face. She’d had a genuine scare and looked defeated on top of the rest of it all. Simply shaking Monserrat’s hand looked like it took a lot of bravery. “Hi, Ava.” Monserrat took Ava’s hand in both hers, making it as warm a handshake as possible. “The first thing to do is to get you girls somewhere more comfortable than this.” “We can go to my house!” Briana nodded excitedly, but Monserrat caught Ava wincing. “Ava is the one who had the extra bad day, so I think she should decide.” Monserrat put a finger to Briana’s lips when she tried to protest. “Ava, would you like to go to Briana’s house? I can also take you back to your house or my house. I know Briana’s house has some supplies for babysitting, and mine does, too. I’m not sure how yours is set up.” “Is your house – do you live alone?” Ava asked, her lip trembling. “No, sweetie. My wife and my roommates live with me.” “What’s wrong with my house?” Briana whined, sounding hurt. “Briana, you’re not helping your friend right now. Please let her decide.” Monserrat fixed Briana with a stern look, much to the Little girl’s surprise. “I don’t want people to – see me like this,” Ava said softly. “Is it okay if we go to my apartment? Briana can come too.” “Of course it is.” Monserrat stroked both Little girls’ hair. “I can see you two don’t want to be separated. Ava, is it alright if I pick you up and put you in my car?” Ava looked at her crutches, sighed bitterly, and nodded. “Yeah.” “I asked because I don’t touch people without asking if it’s okay,” Monserrat said, scooping Ava up. Though she had half a foot on Briana at least, Ava was as light in Monserrat’s arms as Briana had been. “I like carrying around the girls I babysit. It makes them feel more Little, I think.” Ava blushed, clinging to Monserrat until she was set down in the back of the SUV. Briana hopped in on her own, carrying Ava’s crutches. Monserrat stowed both girl’s backpacks in the cargo area before climbing into the backseat with them. “Um, Monchi, how will you drive from back here?” Briana asked. “Ava needs to be cleaned up first.” Monserrat reached over Briana to pull an opaque privacy screen over the window, going around the back of the car window by window until they were all blacked out. She clicked the dome light on and finished sealing off the back of the SUV with a small fold-out screen inset into the driver’s seat. “Y-y-you’re going to change me right here?” Ava whimpered. “If you let me. It’s private enough with the screens down.” “But when we get out, I’ll be in a diaper.” Ava’s shy whisper and the fact that she assumed she’d be put in a diaper lowered Monserrat’s assessment of the girl’s mental age. “I have some emergency skirts I keep on hand in case I have to rescue a Little girl. There won’t be anything for people to see.” Monserrat stroked Ava’s cheek, lowering the girl’s seat back until it was almost flat. “Be a good girl and lie back, okay?” “Monserrat’s a good babysitter; she was extra nice to me when I had a bad nightmare about Melody.” Briana took Ava’s hand. Ava looked comforted but was throwing nervous glances at Briana, too. “Would you rather that Briana not watch you get changed?” An immediate nod from Ava answered Monserrat’s question. Monchi reached into her rescue bag, pulling out a beanie. It was far too big for Briana’s tiny head at regular size. That made it perfect for pulling over the Little girl’s eyes. “Monchi!” Briana giggled. “Be a good girl, Briana. Leave that hat where it is, but keep holding Ava’s hand.” Finally comfortable, Ava smiled weakly and lay flat. Monserrat popped the Little girl’s shoes off, followed by her sweats. They were wetter than they looked, and poor Ava’s panties were soaked up to the waistband. She was visibly happy to get them off and didn’t seem to mind having a changing blanket scooted under her butt. Ava closed her eyes and relaxed as Monserrat wiped her clean. She was so relaxed that she dribbled a bit on the changing blanket. Monserrat didn’t say a word. The extra liquid was as easy to clean up as Ava’s spindly legs were to lift. Cleaning Ava’s rear segued perfectly into slipping a diaper under her rear. A bit of lotion and powder didn’t generate any protests. Monserrat kept the products light in case Ava wasn’t a fan of one or the other. With the Little girl snugly diapered, Monserrat lifted the seat and Ava together, ending with the girl in her arms for a hug. Ava was trembling again, but it seemed to be from intense emotion rather than anxiety. Monserrat kissed the darling girl atop her head. “You’re such a good girl, Ava. I’m going to put a skirt on you, then buckle you and Briana up. While I’m getting the window screens up, your only job will be to tell me your address and snuggle with Briana, alright?” “Okay, Monchi.” Fully Littled-out, Ava was as pliable as any girl Monserrat had babysat. She had them all on the road in minutes. Shortly after, they arrived at a charming brick apartment building whose courtyard boasted dogwood trees with lovely white flowers. “Do you want me to carry you to your apartment, Ava?” Monserrat hadn’t expected a yes but was surprised by the intensity of the Little girl’s head shake. “It was an anti-ABDL protestor that knocked me over.” Ava bit her lip. “I don’t want people to see any baby stuff outside my apartment.” “Oh, sweetie, that’s terrible.” Monserrat kept her face calmly sympathetic – despite the turmoil in her heart. She’d heard that ABDL was negatively in the news, but she hadn’t expected protests in Ardenthill. That someone had even gotten violent at a protest was terrifying for her wife, Jenna. I can warn her as soon as I get these Little girls inside. The last thing they need is for me to freak out and get them both scared again. Ava had to take three breaks on the way into her ground-floor apartment. It was a charming place, small even for a one-bedroom, but tidy and full of homey decorations from her childhood and family connections to India. Once inside, Ava grateful to be picked up by Monserrat and deposited on the couch. “Can you let my bird out?” Ava pointed to a big cage that took up a corner of the living room. “His name is Mango.” “Mango! Mango!” The bird hopped excitedly next to one of his cage doors. It took a finger-flick to open the cage – Mango was out and flying around the room, making happy trilling sounds. He landed on Ava’s shoulder right away, nuzzling her cheek. “I love you too, Mango.” Ava’s face lit up with the first genuine smile Monserrat had seen on the girl. “You remember Briana?” “Briana, Briana, treat!” Mango fluttered his wings at Briana, who sat beside Ava and giggled delightfully at the bird. “Treat later. This is Monchi. She’s a friend.” Ava pointed at Monserrat. “Monchi! Monchi! Treat! Treat!” Monserrat chuckled. “I think everyone should get a treat after what happened today. What do you think?” “Yeah!” The Little girls said in unison. “Treat! Treat!” Mango bobbed his head in an excited nod. Much to Mango’s distress, the Little girls got cookies before he got his date chunks. Monserrat’s go-to cookies for rescues were soft sugar cookies, liberally frosted and as big across as her hand. Once he finally got his bits of date, Mango snuggled into the crook of Ava’s neck. The Little girls were wholly focused on their cookies, giving Monserrat some time to take the lay of the land. While she explored, Monserrat shot off a text to Jenna – and a separate one to the rest of her polycule. She kept it as light as possible with the text to Jenna while ensuring the warning about ABDL protestors came through. For her polycule – Jenna’s other caregivers – Monserrat felt she could be a bit more explicit about the violence. Hoping that she hadn’t worried the women she loved too much, Monserrat concentrated on assessing the apartment. Ava’s space had no obvious ABDL touches besides an abundance of stuffies on her bed. If she had diaper supplies, they were well hidden. Monserat didn’t poke around for them. “That cop was weird with you,” Ava said while Monserrat filled sippy cups with water. Briana shrugged. “The police treat my family differently than other people – I know it’s not right, but what happened to you was way worse. I’m glad I could get them to pay attention to you, and Mom could do the same when Melody was in trouble.” Ava’s thoughtful look turned into a smirk when Mango hopped on Briana’s shoulder and declared, “Stinky! Stinky, stinky!” “What?!” Briana’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t – it’s just potty – Mango, you tattletale!” Ava giggled. “He loves tattling when somebody wets their diaper.” “How’d he even know?” Briana grumped as Monserrat laid out a changing blanket. “He hears the crinkles.” Ava nudged Briana. “Now we both had an accident.” “Yeah, but I’m only wearing a pull-up,” Briana squeaked when Monserrat picked her up. “Oh, thanks, Monchi.” “You’re welcome, Briana.” Monserrat set Briana down on the blanket. “Ava, turn away.” “I don’t mind.” Briana laid back and attended to her cookie like a true diaper-change veteran. “It doesn’t matter if you do; Ava doesn’t want you to see her, so she doesn’t get to peek either.” Monserrat gave Ava a pointed look and made a turning motion. “You turn toward that wall right now, young lady.” Briana was just as much fun to change as she had been the first time Monserrat babysat her, wanting to be played with the whole time and properly squirmy when Monserrat tickled her. While she had the girl and wipes to hand, Monserrat cleaned the Little girl’s makeup streaks up. Putting her back on the couch with Ava and tucking a blanket around the girls resulted in some blissful-looking Littles. “I think you two are properly rescued at this point. I need to get back to my Little girl and the rest of my day.” Monserrat kissed each girl on the forehead and petted Mango’s neck. “Can I do anything for you before I go?” “Do you really have to go?” Briana trained her devastating puppy-dog eyes on Monserrat. Thoughts of Jenna scared at the text she’d received, kept Monserrat strong. “I do, but I’d happily babysit either of you cuties – or both of you – another time.” “Briana was right; you’re a good babysitter.” Ava reached out to squeeze Monserrat’s arm and got a whole hug instead. “Thanks for being so gentle with me.” “It’s what you needed, sweetie.” Monserrat gathered her bag and ensured Ava had her crutches close to hand. “Briana, are you going to be able to get home on your own?” “I’m going to have Mom and Dad pick me up,” Briana said. “Thanks, Monchi.” “And Ava, you’re going to be okay with just Briana here?” “Yeah, I’ll be okay.” Ava snuggled up close to Briana. “I’ll have to go to the doctor and stuff, but I’ll be fine the rest of today.” “Good. If you have another emergency on campus, and I’m at school, I’ll rescue you at no charge, okay, Ava? Make sure you get my phone number from Briana.” “Okay, Monchi.” The sad gratitude on Ava’s face was hard to see. “Hey Monchi, when do I get to meet Jenna?” Briana settled in alongside her girlfriend, holding Ava tenderly in her arms. “It could be soon. If you want, I can give her your phone number and see if she wants to contact you.” “Yeah, do it!” Briana grinned. “It’s a plan. Bye girls. Be good while I’m gone.” “We will, Monchi!” Grinning at the adorable chorus, Monserrat stepped out of the apartment – and hurried to her car. Someone would have texted me by now if something terrible had happened – but I need my Little girl in my arms.

Glad you liked it! Briana defends her people! The Monserrat scene is in the AB: Sitter series, but I'll post it in this thread for continuity.

It's a date! I'm sure everything will go swimmingly. ---- 15 A Tarnished Hill The bus wound through Ardenthill, past brick buildings gripped by ivy bursting with vibrant green life. Trees framed a park that gave the citizens a lovely refuge of flowers among the neat gray streets. If the buildings weren’t brick, they were picturesque white with dark shutters. Downtown Ardenthill was the image of a lovely New England town. Ordinarily, Ava loved a bus ride. She’d spend it making up stories for the people, pets, and stuffies that lived in each charming house. On this particular bus ride, her legs wouldn’t stop trembling. Snuggled up against her as Briana was, there was no way she was missing Ava’s tremors. The time she should have spent enjoying a cuddle with her girlfriend* was spent deliberately breathing each breath. Without conscious intervention, Ava knew she’d be reduced to gasping. The sensible thing to do in her current state would be to go home, lie on her couch, and put her hated emergency pendant on. * May not be a girlfriend on a permanent basis or in all jurisdictions. License and terms may vary. Not guaranteed to be compatible with all girlfriend activities. U-Hauling not recommended. More than she hated the emergency pendant her parents had purchased when she moved to Ardenthill for school, Ava hated the idea that she couldn’t go on a simple shopping trip with her girlfriend*. Somewhere between those two hatreds was her disdain for the concern she could see growing on Briana’s face. She didn’t want her girlfriend to be concerned about her. Ava wanted her girlfriend to be cuddly, horny, and handsy to the limit appropriate for a bus trip. The problem is – I might need her to be concerned if this gets any worse. Ava had fought against using crutches until her last year of high school. No one had called her a poor little disabled girl in her undergraduate studies – at least not to her face. She was prepared to fight tooth and nail against using a wheelchair until her fifties, at least. The Microbiology department knew her as a bright and rising researcher, not as a cripple. Her fight today was the same. Ava was allowed a damn date. Of that, she was certain. She would take things slowly, focus on her breathing, and have a good time watching her girlfriend* prance around one of Ardenthill’s most notorious stores. I am not a Lifetime Movie Special, I am not a statistic, and I am not a pity case. Today goes the way I want. My disease doesn’t get a say. Though she never got her legs to sit still, Ava’s diaphragm decided to continue contributing and let her breathe normally. The victory was a bloom of pride in Ava that had her excitedly pointing out her favorite houses to Briana. Seeing concern drop off Briana’s face to be replaced by the girl’s trademark innocent joy was another victory, almost as important as the first. The bus blew by a crowd of people holding signs. Ava didn’t get to read them but wasn’t surprised to see protestors. There was plenty to protest in the world, and people in a college town were more likely to be riled up than most. The fact that the protest was on a random street corner, not in front of Planned Parenthood, indicated that Ava would agree with the cause du jour. Holding Briana’s hand as she exited the bus, Ava felt an excited tingle in her palm. Her legs might still be buzzy, but nobody could tell that while wearing sweats. The important thing was that they were holding. Mission control was calling in: the board was all green, and the date launch was a go. Almost all the bus stops in Ardenthill had benches and rain covers; the stop they needed to transfer at was no exception. Ava knew better than to push her luck. She sat on the bench as soon as they were off the bus. Besides, it meant more snuggling time with her girlfriend*. Down the street, she could hear the protestors chanting something. Their voices were getting closer – which meant it was a march. That was unusual enough for Ava to crane her neck out of the bus shelter and look down the street. The sight of the protest signs chilled her blood. ABDL appeared in large block letters on most of the signs, always crossed out or surrounded by a red circle and crossed. Some signs showed restroom-style silhouettes wearing diapers with big red Xs on them. Other signs were more wordy, with hateful text that Ava didn’t allow herself to read. As the protestors approached, their chants came through loud and clear. “No freaks in Ardenthill! No adults in diapers!” Ava looked back at Briana. Her girlfriend* looked terrified. There was nothing on her that was overtly ABDL, with the possible exception of her backpack. If she was wearing a diaper, it had to be a subtle one. Ava hadn’t heard so much as a crinkle since she’d run into Briana in the lab. It didn’t matter. The uneasiness Ava was feeling was obviously multiplied many times over in Briana. Ava liked to be Little – loved it on occasion – but her girlfriend* was Little. And now a mob of people is coming to attack her identity directly. The smart, safe thing would have been to hold on to Briana and let the protestors pass on their hateful way. Ava had already demonstrated she wasn’t interested in safety or smartness that day. She could handle anger and hateful directed at her – with maybe a good cry later. The same hate directed at her girlfriend* was not acceptable. As the mob streamed around the bus shelter, Ava surged to her feet. “No Freaks in Ardenthill! Get the Perverts out!” The shelter rang with the slogan. “Why don’t you mind your own business?” Ava snarled at the protestors. “ABDLs aren’t hurting anyone!” Few in the crowd had even heard her. Those that did frowned and sneered at her. She was ready for that and had been expecting it. What Ava hadn’t expected was a middle-aged man stepping out of the crowd to get in her face. “You’re a friend to those freaks? Or are you one of them?” His face was beet red. Ava’s mind was screaming alarm bells, but she was too upset to back down. There had been too many disappointments and hardships in the day. “It doesn’t matter either way. It’s none of your business what somebody wears!” The man’s hands came up, looming toward Ava. They were bigger than he was. His palms hit her in the shoulders and pushed hard. Instinctively, Ava resisted. All she wanted was not to fall. What she got was the full brunt of her weight and the man’s push on her already shaking legs. They collapsed under her like rubber bands. A shocked gasp went up from the crowd as Ava’s crutches went flying and clattered to the ground. She hit like a wad of wet toilet paper. It hurt. Before Ava could assess the damage, Briana was on her feet. The power of her angry screams seemed impossible for a being so small. The mere force of her yell pushed a space back into the crowd. “You pushed over a disabled girl!?” Briana bellowed. “I’m calling the police! Someone arrest that man! Citizen’s arrest!” The middle-aged man bolted into the crowd. The rest of the protestors didn’t seem keen on stopping him, but they all had guilty looks. As Briana began dialing on her cell phone, the protestors scattered. A few that had been on the other side of the bus shelter lingered for a bit, then dispersed with the rest. “Hello, dispatcher?” Fury was still evident on Briana’s face as she kept her eyes on the man who’d pushed Ava. “This is Briana Tess Rasmussen. I need a police officer at the corner of Court and Summer Street. My friend was assaulted by a white male, six foot tall, middle-aged, with salt and pepper hair. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans.” It was charming and too much fuss. Ava tried to take a deep breath to ask Briana to calm down – and didn’t get any air. Her chest was numb, her diaphragm unresponsive. In a panic, she beat her fist on the bus shelter. “Briana!” Ava croaked her girlfriend’s* name out when the girl turned to look at her. “Help!” “I need an ambulance too, NOW! Same address. She’s not breathing!” Briana dropped to her knees and let her phone hit the ground. The world was getting blurry – not a good sign. Ava pushed feebly on her stomach, forcing her lungs to expel air. With a terrible gasping sound, she managed to get fresh air down her throat. She pawed at Briana, mimed pressing on her belly and up towards her ribs. The next few minutes were a nightmare of shallow gasps that kept Ava alive in a slowly darkening world. When the paramedics arrived, Ava showed them the medical tag on her bracelet. They put an oxygen mask on her face. One of them gave her something that might have been adrenaline. She pressed the old, familiar plastic to her face and inhaled sweet energy that brightened the world around her. In mere minutes, she was sitting propped up against one of the paramedics, taking deep breaths alone. “We’d really like to transport you to the emergency department for monitoring, ma’am.” As always, the paramedic was being helpful and earnest. Just as predictably, their offer was useless. “I refuse transport,” Ava said as clearly as possible. She pulled her mouth into the best smile she could manage to take away the sting of her flat statement. “I appreciate your help, but there’s nothing more they can do for me there.” “I think there’s a lot they could do.” The earnest, sandy-haired paramedic insisted. “Starting with keeping an eye on you.” Ava shook her head. “I have muscular dystrophy. Today’s just a bad day. You got me the oxygen I needed – thank you. My chest muscles should cooperate for the rest of the day.” “Your friend looks pretty worried. Are you sure?” It was – hopefully – the nice paramedic’s last attempt. Ava looked at Briana, whose black makeup had streaked down her cheeks with tears. She could add that to the day’s problems; she’d made her girlfriend* cry on the very day they’d become girlfriends. Again, Ava shook her head. “I do not consent to be transported.” “I hear you,” The paramedic said unhappily. “Please take it easy for the rest of the day.” “I think I have to.” Ava felt a portion of her heart break as she gave up on her date with Briana. Assured that she wouldn’t try to run sprints down the street, the paramedics packed up their gear and hopped in their ambulance. They left with flashing lights, which made Ava feel better about refusing to be transported. Someone who needs it more than me will get that ride. There was a police cruiser nearby, but no sign of the policeman. Presumably, Briana had talked to him while Ava was getting medical attention. In preparation for getting to her feet, Ava looked down at herself to take an inventory of her bruises. When she saw the wet spot on her sweatpants, the awareness of her wet crotch and legs came back. Though she was wearing dark gray, the wet blotch was obvious – she’d dumped her entire bladder while she was fighting for air. It was. One. Too. Many. Straws. Ava sobbed. She balled up on the pavement and cried her eyes out. Briana’s gentle touch did nothing to stop the sobs but did get Ava to flip over and cling to her girlfriend*. “Ava, are you okay? What’s going on?” “I had an accident!” Slipping into the Little word for wetting herself was easier than facing the issue as an adult. Besides, though Briana had been Big all day, in Ava’s mind, she was still the girl who had played mini-golf with her in a big diaper. “Yeah, you did. I think my mom and dad are in a meeting right now. I could call Gary…” “No!” Ava let her total frustration with all things Gary vent into the word. It felt good, like the empowering start of a tantrum. “Okay, right, um – I guess I could…” Briana stroked Ava’s back. “Oh! I know. I can call a professional.” “Don’t waste emergency services time with this.” Ava snapped. “Not that kind of professional. A potty professional.” Briana picked up her phone; it had still been lying where she’d dropped it. “What the fuck are you talking about?” Ava’s grumpiness and incredulity had stopped her crying, at least. She squinted suspiciously at Briana. “Language, Little Girl.” Briana stuck her tongue out at Ava as she dialed. “The babysitter I’m calling doesn’t let us swear.” “I don’t want some random…” “Her name is Monserrat; she’s a professional babysitter. She helps Little girls like you and me. She’s babysat me once already. Do you remember Flora from my birthday? She babysits Flora a lot." Ava sniffled. It seemed possible that Monserrat, as a babysitter, might not be the worst thing in the world. The only problem was cost. A professional adult babysitter sounded like a lot of fun – and really expensive. “Briana, I’m not sure I can afford…” “It doesn’t matter if you can or not.” Briana sighed at her phone and pressed a couple of buttons. “I’m booking Monserrat for both of us and covering your half as a treat. We’re on a date, aren’t we?” “Are you going to let me finish even one…” Briana kissed her fingers and pressed them to Ava’s lips. “No. Now be a good girl, and our babysitter will give us candy.” Candy sounded amazing. Sugar seemed equal in comfort to Ava getting out of her wet sweats. That strong of a reaction meant she was feeling Little for sure. It was weird to be Little in public – but she had her Little girlfriend* with her, and there was a babysitter on the way, so weird was apparently on the menu. “Monserrat? It’s Briana Rasmussen. Thank you so much for picking up.” Briana squeezed Ava’s hand. “Yes, it’s an emergency. My girlfriend got hurt and had an accident. The EMTs just left, but we need a babysitter for the second part.” Ava snuggled up to Briana, wishing she had Brownie to cuddle too. Briana’s voice was trending toward her Little inflection. From her current angle, Ava couldn’t see the police car, and the protesters were long gone. Other than some minor bruises, she felt fine. Her muscles were back to their only slightly-useless selves. It was easy to pretend that nothing terrible had happened except for having an accident when she was out with Briana. So that’s what happened. Until Monserrat – she better be as cool as Briana says – is done babysitting me, all that happened is that I had an accident. Just like my girlfriend** does. ** Girlfriends that demonstrate the ability to scatter a hostile mob and handle a medical emergency are likely to be of the permanent type. While life has no guarantees, it is safe to assume that the Briana model is, in fact, a good girlfriend.

Yeeeeeeesssss... >_> I'm sure absolutely nothing dramatic will happen. 😝

Briana might just have some apologizing to do, and she's gonna do it as a big girl! ----- 14 Big Girl’s Apology Tour Briana tugged on a pullup before working tights up her legs and over her slim padding. Though it was big girl time, Alanna sat staring at her on the bed. Little Briana would have put her stuffed lioness there for advice – Big Briana was aware that she mainly used Alanna as a metaphor for her conscience. Big or Little, conscience or lioness, Briana knew she was in trouble. There was no begging or being cute to escape the situation either, because she was in trouble with herself. With a sigh, Briana went over her disastrous playdate in her mind. The afternoon had started completely magically. It could have stayed that way, too, if she’d only remembered to talk to her boyfriend and girl-that-hopefully-was-becoming-a-girlfriend. Littleness was no excuse for forgetting something so important. She hadn’t forgotten about Christmas for an instant after Thanksgiving, nor had she ever forgotten to worry about Melody when her sib had been in trouble with Beatrix. If Briana had been Little, her lioness would have said some very stern things to her as she put on a black sweater with sparkly batwings sewn on. Being Big, she told them to herself. I hurt my new friend Ava by putting her in a scary situation without asking her. I hurt Gary’s heart by treating him like he would be OK with anything I decided. Looking in her mirror, Briana carefully applied black eyeliner and smoky eye-shadow. She painted on black lipstick – then liberally patted glitter into her eye shadow and across her lips. Though she packed her bags with microbiology notes and a laptop, she was still Little enough to salute Alanna with a fist over her heart. I’m going to do better. I will be more like Mom and make everybody proud—especially the Alanna part of me. Briana skipped downstairs to the kitchen and presented herself to her mom for inspection. Veronica’s eyebrows twitched upwards to see her Little girl clad in black from head to toe. Before she said anything, Mom straightened Briana’s pleated skirt's waistline and ensured her pullup was adequately tucked away. “You’ve been wearing darker colors, but this is the first time I’ve seen you in black lipstick since we dressed you up at The Black Veil. What’s the occasion, sweetie?” “I want to be more like you, Mom.” As always, Briana got a burst of warm fuzzes in her heart from calling Veronica – Mom. The best part was that it worked for both Big and Little Briana. Veronica was Mom in the Big and Little peoples’ worlds. “Briana, that’s very sweet, but you prefer bright colors. You can be like me without dressing like me.” “I know! I want to be like you in the not-dressing way. My outfit and makeup are reminders to be a better girl. To be like my Mom and always do the right thing.” “Baby Bee.” Veronica sighed, dabbing at her eyes with a black silk handkerchief. “I’m proud of you. So proud of my strong, loving daughter.” Briana also had to dab her eyes, remembering to grab a napkin off the kitchen table at the last minute rather than disastrously rubbing her made-up eyes. Veronica pulled Briana in for a cuddly hug and a kiss atop her head as soon as they were both composed enough not to have to redo their makeup. “I like your outfit too. I’m glad you still have some sparkly touches to it.” “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t lose my sparkles.” Briana planted a careful kiss on her Mom’s cheek. “I’ve got to catch the bus. I love you, Mommy!” “I love you too, Baby Bee.” Veronica followed Briana as far as the kitchen door, fondly watching the Little girl until she was out the front door. ~~~*~~~ Knocking on Gary’s office door was scary. The hustle and bustle of undergraduates around Briana wasn’t the source of her nervousness – she blended in perfectly, looking like just another undergraduate knocking on the door of a TA’s office. Briana’s fears were validated when Gary opened his door. Upon seeing Briana, Gary got a little sadder. It was devastating for a girl who was used to seeing delight on her boyfriend’s face when she arrived. “Hi, Gary.” Briana focused on keeping her feet rooted to the floor. The urge to hurl herself into Gary’s arms, crying apologetically, was overwhelming. That move would get Little Briana what she wanted, but Big Briana knew that what she’d done was too big to be covered up by a scolding or spanking. Gary deserved an apology, and not to be pushed into being a caregiver. “Hey, Briana. Come on in.” Briana followed Gary into his literally closet-sized office, eschewing the chair to stand contritely in front of Gary’s desk with her hands folded over her skirt. “I came to apologize if that’s okay.” “Bri, I’m not mad at you. I was a little confused and hurt – and still a bit hurt, if I’m being honest.” Gary sat down in his creaky office chair with a sigh. The sad little window behind him was half-covered by the only shelf Gary could fit in the room. One of the shelves was left bare for a slice of natural light that settled on Gary’s shoulders. “I know, and I’m sorry. This is a Big girl apology. I’m not being Little right now. I was thoughtless and selfish. I didn’t set out to hurt you, but I didn’t think about your feelings either.” Saying those words hurt. Each one had come out with a twist of Briana’s gut. Once they were all out, though, she felt better. Not that she felt good yet, but she felt cleansed. If Gary didn’t want to accept her apology, that’d be terrible, but she would still have done the right thing. Despite her bravery, Briana had to admit she’d do anything at the moment for Gary or her Dad to hug her and tell her she was a good girl. “Thanks, Briana.” Gary didn’t smile, but his expression eased. He motioned to the chair in front of him. “Do you want to sit? I can make you some tea; I’ve got a working electric kettle here now.” “You plugged a kettle in?” Briana took a seat, setting her hot-pink backpack down on the floor. It was the only thing she hadn’t yet found a gothy replacement for. “Is that a fire hazard in here?” “Wow, you really are Big right now.” Gary finally smiled, flicking the switch on his kettle. “It’s fine. I had maintenance check the outlet for me. They said my shelf is a fire hazard, but the kettle is fine.” Briana squirmed in her seat. “I wish the University would put you in a better space.” “It’s this or nothing.” Gary shrugged. “The shelf has to stay, too, or how would I keep my Briana plants?” “Your what?” Gary motioned to a shelf full of tiny succulents, each one with a different color of plump leaves. “They’re tiny and colorful, just like you. Well, like you usually are. Though they’re way lower maintenance than you.” Briana giggled. “Gary, I love you.” “I love you too, Bri.” “That’s why I was so upset when I realized I hurt you.” Briana sighed. “You’ve shown me so much love and acceptance. I feel like I’ve mostly been taking instead of giving back.” “Hon, no.” Gary took a moment to pour the tea, setting a mug in front of Briana. “You’re a lot of work when you’re Little, but you give back. The way you snuggle with me, the way you laugh – the way you look at me like I can see straight into your heart. It’s incredible. I wouldn’t trade Little Briana for anything.” “That’s good!” Briana bounced in her chair. “I have to be big sometimes, though, and when I am, I want to be a good girlfriend for you too.” “I’m not going to complain about that. Or your outfit. It’s not hurting my feelings at all.” Gary took a sip of his scalding tea, apparently unbothered by the heat or that it’d barely steeped. Mom would have been scandalized right out of her chair. Briana chose to overlook Gary’s transgression out of the goodness of her heart. “I tell you I want to take care of you, and you tell me I’m sexy in a goth look?” Briana rolled her eyes and giggled. “Gaaaaary, you’re such a boy.” “Come on, you’re not Big very often. I’ve got to take advantage of the chance to get some dirty talk in while I can.” Oh? He’s been missing that kind of thing, has he? Briana bit her lip mischievously. “Gary, I’d do anything for you. All you’d have to do is ask, and I’d crawl under your desk and go down on you right here in your office.” It felt so fun and naughty to say, that Big Briana felt warm in her pullup. Briana’s comment did what boiling water had failed to do, flushing Gary’s face red from his hairline to his neck. He took another mouthful of tea, gulped half down, and coughed the other half into his elbow. “See?” Briana’s smile sparkled to match her makeup. “There are some advantages to a Big girlfriend.” “Yeah, I’m seeing that.” Gary coughed and laughed. “I love Little Briana best, though. Not saying I won’t take you up on your offer – someday when I get my courage up to do that in my office – but Little Briana has something that no other girl has.” “I love you,” Briana said. “Are we okay?” “Yeah, Bri, we are.” Gary nodded. “Can I check your padding, or will that mess up your being Big?” Big and Little Briana both got warm under their pullup at that suggestion. “I don’t think it will, and anyway, I need to be stronger about being Big if it does.” To her surprise, Big Briana was squirmy at the idea instead of hopping up to be checked when her caregiver asked. Little Briana was a bit nervous at the delay; she knew she wasn’t supposed to refuse a diaper check! When Gary motioned for her to come around the desk, Big Briana blushed and tiptoed over. “You haven’t been embarrassed like this in a while. It’s cute. Is this another Big Briana advantage?” Gary asked as he lifted her skirt. Gary’s strong hands patting her padded crotch and rear made Briana tremble. She was glad he didn’t check inside her pullup – there was a definite wet patch, but it wasn’t related to a potty accident. Part of Big Briana wanted to find out where things would go if Gary found that kind of wet patch. “An advantage for you, maybe.” Briana wrung her hands behind her back, holding on to her Big frame of mind for dear life. “Am I a good girl?” “You are my best girl.” Gary pulled Briana into his lap and kissed her. “We have to talk about Ava, but you have a lab in ten minutes, and I have office hours starting.” Briana nodded. “I know. I have to be big this afternoon with Aunt Kiara, too. I can call you tonight, but I might be Little. Big Briana could talk to you tomorrow.” “Either is fine with me.” Gary leaned Briana against him, a thoughtful expression on his angular face. “It might even be a good idea to talk to both Brianas.” “Oh! Actually – that’s super smart.” Gary laughed. “You don’t have to sound so surprised. I know I lift weights, but I’m still a scientist.” “I don’t think of you as a scientist or a weightlifter.” Briana tucked her head against Gary’s neck. “I think of you as Gary. The man I love that takes care of me.” “Baby girl, why do you make it so hard for me to say goodbye to you right before we both have to go do stuff?” Gary gave Briana a big squeeze. “As your Big Girl or your Little Girl, that’s my job, right?” “It is, and you’re great at it.” Gary tilted Briana’s head up for a long, slow kiss. Though there was always a bit of a tingle in Briana’s kitty when she kissed her Gary, the kiss was so much more about love. It filled up one of the sadness holes in her heart. Only Ava could fill the other one. Gary patted Briana on the rear, sending her to pick up her backpack and head for the door. “Make sure you go potty before your lab so you can stay Big.” “I will, thanks, Gary. Oh, and Gary?” Briana winked, “Don’t forget to call or text if you need ‘stress relief’. I have a little time between labs today.” Delighted by the flustered boy they’d left in their wake, Big and Little Briana skipped to their Lab – by way of the potty. ~~~*~~~ By the time lab was wrapping up, Briana had been good-naturedly accused of sneaking the sunshine into the building three times by her lab mates. Her experiments could not have gone more flawlessly. Look out, ocean microplastics! A Knight of Cloudland has forged a special sword of teeny tiny critters that will eat you up. She finished her data page with a pen flourish and a kitty face. Little touches like that were key for keeping Little Briana happy enough that she didn’t need to come out. Big Briana suspected that her advising professor tolerated childish pictures in her data sets largely because her last name was Rasmussen. As accommodations went, she wasn’t exactly asking for the moon, so Big Briana refused to feel guilt over the possibility. As she was sterilizing her equipment, a familiar figure entered the lab. Moving more slowly on her crutches than usual, Ava was dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. She paused at the door, apparently to catch her breath, and smiled when she caught sight of Briana. “Ava!” Briana bounced happily over to her friend-but-hopefully-more-than-a-friend and gave her a careful hug. It wasn’t the right mood to start an apology, but Briana was feeling too good to be properly downcast. In any case, Ava likely did not want an apology about their playdate in a public space. “Hey Bri-ana.” Ava drew a deep breath and gave Briana a wobbly smile. “Banana. Briana Banana.” “I get a nickname already? I’m way behind; I don’t have one for you yet.” Briana grinned. “What brings you down to Dr. Vaughn’s lab?” “Dr. Kumari.” Ava took another labored breath. “Sent me to get.” Again, Ava paused, rearranging her hands on her crutches. “The portable incubator.” “Ava, are you okay?” Briana put her hand on Ava’s shoulder, only to withdraw it at the girl’s annoyed nod. “I’m fine; I just went too fast.” Ava forced herself upright, taking a couple of deep breaths. “But if you’re wrapping up…” “I’d love to carry it for you.” Briana nodded. “I’ve never been in Dr. Kumari’s lab, but I hear you have all kinds of fancy equipment.” “Yeah, the gray-goo machines.” Ava chuckled. “You don’t get nervous around nanobots?” “Look at me,” Briana said, packing the mini-incubator into its case. She signed it out carefully, putting down her name, Ava’s name, and Dr. Kumari’s as the responsible parties. To do otherwise was to risk a snarly voicemail from Dr. Vaughn. “I’m almost nano-bot sized. They’d elect me as their president.” “Shows what you know. They don’t have a president. Nanobots operate under an anarcho-syndicalist commune.” Briana giggled, packing up her backpack and hefting the incubator in her arms. “Ready when you are.” Kumari’s lab was at the other end of the building. As they walked, Briana kept an eye on Ava’s wobbly legs, hoping she wasn’t being too obvious about it. The one time she was sure Ava caught her looking, Briana fluttered her eyelashes up at her hopefully-girlfriend-but-it’s-really-okay-if-not-friend with a flirty smile. Ava didn’t seem to have the breath to talk and walk simultaneously, so Briana hummed nonsense instead of continuing their conversation. When they arrived at the lab, Ava immediately dashed for a chair and slumped into it. Pretending she wasn’t worried but getting more anxious all the time, Briana put on her sunniest smile and traipsed up to Dr. Kumari. The professor was a famously active Indian woman with a taut, athletic body that didn’t show an ounce of fat. Briana couldn’t remember what kind of contest it was, but she knew Dr. Kumari participated in some remarkably grueling athletic event every year. At least twice, she’d returned from that event with a trophy for her office. “Hi, Dr. Kumari, I have your incubator. I made sure to sign it out properly so Dr. Vaughn will know it’s here.” “Thank you.” Dr. Kumari took the equipment that was weighing Briana’s arms down like it was a featherweight. “It’s Briana, isn’t it?” “That’s me, Briana Rasmussen.” “Oh, I didn’t realize.” Dr. Kumari’s manner underwent an immediate change. Instead of putting the incubator away, she returned to Briana, giving the diminutive girl her full attention. “Thank you so much for helping Ava get it here, Ms. Rasmussen.” “Briana is fine, or Miss Rasmussen if you want to be formal. Ms. Rasmussen is Veronica.” Or Michelle or Kiara. But not the Littlest Rasmussen! Labeling herself “miss” triggered an immediate downgrade in Dr. Kumari’s formality. She was likely nicer to Briana than she would have been to a random graduate student, but the stiff decorum was gone from her expression and tone. “I want to get some bacteria started in this incubator right away. You’re welcome to look around the lab, but don’t let me keep you if you have somewhere to be.” Dr. Kumari nodded at Briana, hustling the precious incubator to a lab counter. Briana understood her haste. Dr. Kumari had about forty-eight hours before Dr. Vaughn would demand his equipment back. “Ava, do you mind waiting a bit while I take a peek at the lab?” Briana’s heart went out to her oh-please-let-her-be-my-girlfriend’s relieved expression at the prospect of more time for Ava to sit. The grey-goo machines were very cool in any case. Briana was careful to touch nothing but read every label on the devices that created and housed infinitesimally tiny machines that could go inside a living cell without disrupting it. By the time Briana had finished nerding out, Ava looked well-rested. “I like the sparkle-goth outfit you have going, but isn’t the backpack a little clashy?” Ava asked. “Yeah.” Briana shrugged and giggled. “Do you have any more labs or classes today? We could go shopping together. I know just the place to get a new backpack.” “It sounds fun, but uh…” “There’s a bus stop right in front of the store I’m thinking of if you’re worried.” “I wasn’t worried.” Ava sighed, looking down at her lap. “But – I might not be able to make it to the campus bus stop in one go today.” “The campus bookstore is halfway between here and the bus stop.” Briana’s tone sparkled as brightly as her sweater’s bats, enough to get Ava to lift her head curiously. “There’s an ice cream shop attached to it.” “With fresh-made waffle cones.” Ava rose enthusiastically to her feet. “Let’s do it.” The spring air was delightful, energizing Ava almost as much as the prospect of ice cream had. Briana got a double cone of bubblegum and blueberry, and Ava stuck with a single scoop of caramel pecan, even after Briana offered to pay. As they sat on a bench and sugared themselves up, Briana momentarily forced herself to pull away from her ice cream bliss and put on a serious expression. “Ava, I need to apologize to you. I’m really sorry for how I treated you when you were over at my house.” “Oh – uh, that’s um – thanks.” Ava looked around, seeming relieved that no one was nearby. “I appreciate the apology, but I could have done a lot to explain my feelings or ask questions.” “But you didn’t because you were Little, right?” Briana nodded in response to Ava’s blush. “I was being selfish and thoughtless, and I’m sorry for that. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I did, and I want to make it up to you if I can.” “Wow.” Ava took a big bite of her ice cream and cone, sitting for a moment as she savored it. “That’s probably the nicest apology I’ve gotten, especially from a uh – friend like you.” “I don’t know if you were going to say girlfriend, but it’d be okay if you did.” Briana scooted across the bench, putting herself hip to hip with Ava. “I’ve been hoping we’re girlfriends, but I won’t be upset if we’re not.” “You have a boyfriend,” Ava said sourly. “I do.” Briana took a deep breath. “I love Gary, and I’m not going to stop loving him. I won’t apologize for it either. My heart has more than one spot for loving people. I love you too, and I don’t love you less because I love Gary. I don’t love you less because I love Mom, Dad, or Melody, either.” “You’re polyamorous.” “I guess. I know what polyamory is, but I don’t know a lot about it. I know that I have an Ava-shaped hole in my heart that was very sad when I hurt you. I know that I don’t love you the way I love Melody or even the way that I loved Melody before they became my sibling.” Briana shrugged and smiled at Ava. “I love you the same way I love Gary, but with differences because you’re a different person.” “What if I can’t be with someone who loves someone else the same way they love me?” Ava kept her eyes on her cone. “I’ll be sad. But that’ll be for me to deal with. I hope you’ll still be in my life somehow because nobody but Ava can fit in that spot in my heart.” “I’ll be sad too – if I can’t be with you because you love Gary,” Ava said softly. “But I’m still not sure if I can do it.” “I can wait for you to figure it out.” “Briana, I’m not even sure if I love you yet.” “I can wait for you to figure that out too.” “It’s weird to talk to you when you’re like this.” Ava leaned against Briana, resting her head atop the smaller girl’s head. “You mean when I’m not Little?” “Yeah.” It seemed like Ava wanted to say something more, but she fell silent instead. Briana took the opportunity to attack her ice cream cone. Little Briana had been nervous about its meltiness for a while. They finished their cones in what was – for Briana at least – a comfortable silence. When Briana returned from throwing the napkins away, Ava reached out and threaded her fingers through Briana’s. “I want to try to be your girlfriend.” Happy fireworks exploded in Briana’s heart! Her maybe-girlfriend-but-maybe-not-and-that’s-okay-but-only-kind-of-okay friend was officially her girlfriend. Rather than squeal right in Ava’s face – it was going to be one of the deafening squeals – Briana leaned in to kiss her new girlfriend. The kiss was soft, sweet, and oh! Ava had a hand on the back of Briana’s thigh, just under her skirt, and her other hand on Briana’s side. Those were good places to put hands, but Briana could think of better ones. As the kiss deepened, she thought of several better places for Ava’s hands. Both girls were pink-cheeked as they pulled apart. Ava licked her lips, which was the most fascinating thing Briana had ever seen. She had feelings about seeing Ava’s tongue, feelings in her pullup. Despite those feelings, ravishing Ava on a bench outside the campus bookstore wouldn't do. At the very least, it seemed like it would be an immediate failure for Emeline’s lady lessons. Briana cleared her throat. “So – um – shopping?” “Huh?” Ava stared at Briana in confusion for a moment, then giggled. “Right. Shopping. Where are we going?” “The Black Veil. We’ll have to switch busses downtown, but we can get there without any more walking besides getting to the campus bus station.” “That’s the super-goth store, isn’t it?” Ava hoisted herself on her crutches, setting a steady pace toward the bus station. “Is that the only store in town your mom shops at?” Briana laughed. “I don’t think it’s the only one, but she might own stock in it.” “Maybe I should pick something up there.” Ava glanced down at Briana. “Or would that be weird since your mom dresses that way?” “I wouldn’t mind having a goth girlfriend. They’re super fashionable.” Ava chuckled, though it ended in a wheeze. “You’re hot in that fit for sure.” “I’ll remember that. The visiting princess never did get her reward. To compensate for it being delayed, I could let her pick the outfit I reward her in.” “Are you going to flirt with me the entire time we’re shopping?” “Unless you tell me to stop.” Briana winked. “I have to do something, or I’ll be all over you.” “This is going to be a hell of a trip.” Later, Briana would remember their flirty banter on the way to the bus station as the beginning of something new and wonderful in her life. Though she didn’t usually remember people’s exact words, Ava’s assessment of their shopping trip stuck with her. She had had no way to know how prophetic they would be – not that Ava could have known either.

I adore that @YourFNF is a measure of stress when reading a story almost as much as I love reading YourFNF's reactions to things. 💜 Sorry that LSB stressed you out so much! It does have a super happy ending, I promise. Sweet enough to put a Little on a sugar rush. Thanks for being a reader!

The continuation of our tale, right from where we left off! ----- 13 The Gary-ordion Knot No, no no no! This can’t be happening. I don’t want a babysitter! Why does Veronica have to go to her stupid meeting? Where’s Briana’s Grandma? Why won’t anybody notice how scared I am? There were no answers. Instead, a big hairy man swooped the girl Ava had been kissing into his arms, and kissed her with a resounding smack. Too frozen even to cry, Ava could only stare up at the two of them and cling to Brownie. “Hi Ava, is that one of Briana’s skirts? It looks great on you. Has my Little girl been playing nicely with you?” Gary’s jovial face demanded an answer. “We’re playing – Cloudland.” Ava’s voice felt tiny in the sudden scariness of the room. Gary seemed to take it for a Little voice – which was fine. As much as Ava wanted out of the situation, Gary was the last person she wanted to open up to. Briana squirmed out of Gary’s arms and plopped down next to Ava. “Mom was going to get us more cookies but she got busy, can you get us another plate please, Gary?” Gary laughed. “Nice try. Veronica gave me instructions ahead of time. Why don’t you show me what’s going on in Cloudland?” “Ava’s a visiting dignitary, she can fill you in on the situation with the rakshasi.” Briana gestured magnanimously to Ava, leaving her in the high beam headlights of Gary’s attention. Making a terrible scene seemed like the only way out. Had she been fully big, Ava could have made some excuses and slipped away – but such subtleties were beyond her Little self. Her ribs felt like they were crushing inward on her lungs and heart. A trembling cry built up in Ava’s throat, and was stalled by Briana’s happy grin. “I can tell if you don’t want to!” Briana’s face was full of innocent joy. She wasn’t trying to do anything scary to Ava, she was Little, and having fun. The purity of Briana’s Littleness offered Ava another way out of her panic. She could follow the cherubic girl down the rabbit hole and pretend everything was okay. After all – what was Littlespace for, if not pretending? More than she’d ever dared, Ava let go of her adult worries. Gone were silly things like school, work, and bills. With her nethers expertly diapered, she could cast aside even very basic concerns. Gary was still scary – but instead of relationship complexities, it was his status as an unknown authority figure that made Ava wary of him. The most important thing in the moment was the game they were playing. Within that game, it was paramount that Ava keep Briana from stealing her thunder. “I can tell it! I was just – getting my words together.” Ava fussed loudly at her friend. There was a moment of shock on Briana’s face, giving way quickly to a brilliant grin. “Well excuse me, Princess.” Briana giggled. “Please, inform my manservant of the current situation.” “Manservant?” Gary furrowed his brows, and promptly spoiled the effect by smirking. “Hush Manservant, there are two Princesses here.” Briana bowed to Ava, making an absurdly elaborate flippy motion with her hand. “Thank you, Princess Briana.” Ava raised her nose imperiously. The effect lost something since she still had to look up at Gary, but it was the pretend that counted. “The vile rakshasi Shurpanakha has impersonated my mother. Princess Briana has mobilized the Round Table, and we’re going to march on the palace.” “Wow, is there anything your humble manservant can do to assist?” Gary asked, with a grin. “Obviously we can’t be expected to travel and fight without provisions,” Ava said. “OMG cook…” Briana was cut short by a gentle bonk on the head from Gary. “Veronica was adamant about the cookies.” Gary’s tone was stern – but seemed reluctant too. “I wasn’t going to ask for cookies.” Ava put on her most earnest expression, finding it effortless in her current Littleness. “We need crackers.” Gary stared dubiously at the Little girls, arms folded across his chest. At last, he shook his head and laughed. “You’re lucky you two are so cute together. You can have a few crackers. If you don’t eat dinner, Princess Briana is getting a spanking.” “Gary! Not in front of my Princess friend!” Briana whined in outrage. “Of course we’ll eat dinner. We’ll be exhausted from battle, right Briana?” Ava hip-checked her Little friend, turning Briana’s whine to a happy giggle. “Yeah, that’s right! Okay Manservant, get us some crackers. Mush!” “I’m a sled dog now?” Gary ruffled Briana’s hair and left in search of crackers. “That was brilliant! You’re so good to play Cloudland with – maybe even better than Melody.” Briana tackle-hugged Ava, who was happy enough to fall over in a snuggly pile with such a cute Little. ~~~*~~~ With the aid of crackers and plastic swords, the princesses managed to send Shurpanakha back to her demon realm – though the battle fierce. Arnold the Pangolin proved a brave stuffie on the battlefield, which mostly absolved Arnold the Pangolin of Arnold the Pangolin’s insistence on always using his full name – mostly. With the unrestrained way that Briana threw herself into make-believe, Ava felt every swish of the sword or swipe of the rakshasi’s claws. Their heroism was real and important in a way that nothing really could be for someone who was Big. The perpetual aches in Ava’s legs had faded far into the background. With just a bit of help from leaning against Briana’s bed, she stood confidently without her crutches to bestow medals upon the brave Cloudland knights. “Arnold the Pangolin earns the MVS award, and the sparkliest ring in my collection.” Ava wiggled a costume jewelry ring onto the stuffie’s paw. It sparked like a diamond that had captured a star in her imagination – and Briana’s too, by the happy sparkles in her friend’s eyes. “What’s the MVS award?” Briana was yanking a sheet off her bed – a breach of protocol that Ava choose to ignore. “Most Valorous Stuffie.” Ava clapped her hands in delight to see Briana put the sheet around her waist and spin down into a super swirly curtsey. “That’s a really good award! I might have to add that to the Cloudland awards.” With a grin, Briana swept her hands outward. “But if that’s what Sir Arnold the Pangolin gets, what does the Princess of Cloudland get?” “She gets the girl…” Ava flipped her hair nervously over one shoulder. “If… she – if you want.” Briana rose to her feet with a an intense expression that set off a butterfly explosion in Ava’s belly. She stepped forward without tripping on the sheet – an impressive display of Littleness – and put her arms around Ava’s waist. “Careful what you promise,” Briana said softly. “This princess reads naughty novels where that kind of reward gets – a detailed description.” “I’m yours.” Ava whispered. She gasped in response to Briana tightening her grip and lowered her head to meet Briana’s lips. The taste of Briana on her tongue sent a flush through Ava’s body. Despite being pressed against each other, she felt unbearably separated from the other girl. Desperately, she clutched Briana’s back. At Briana’s moan, Ava wrapped a leg around Briana, shivering to hear their diapers crinkled as they squished against each other. “Um – girls?” Gary’s embarrassed cough shot ice down Ava’s spine. “I’m sitting right here.” “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry!” Briana wrenched free from Ava to turn to Gary. “I got caught up in the moment. I know we haven’t talked enough about everything, and you and Ava haven’t talked, are you upset?” You and Gary haven’t talked. A pit opened up in Ava’s stomach. Liquid nitrogen shot through the marrow of her bones. The thought of having a relationship dynamics discussion with her babysitter – with her girlfriend’s boyfriend – it was too Big for Little Ava to contain. The Big world was breaking in, and this time there was no sexy, adorable Briana to stop it. She’d turned away, struggled out of Ava’s embrace – was hugging Gary. Ava hit the floor before she realized her legs were spasming. All the muscles below her waist were thoroughly done. There wasn’t enough sensation of her bladder to even attempt to hold in the accident she could feel spreading hot and wet across her crotch. It was honestly a miracle that her legs weren’t cramping. Worse, her crutches were across the room – assuming she had the strength to stand with their aid. Bitter tears burst out of Ava. The world of light and magic had been torn into by the stupid, complicated adult world. Unlike the rakshasi’s claws, there was no stuffie to bravely block with a make believe shield. Though Ava clutched Brownie to her chest, she was painfully aware that he was cloth and stuffing – not the noble Kshatriya he’d been moments before. Gary said something to her – he sounded concerned. Ava didn’t care, she couldn’t deal with him, or Briana for that matter. She was drowning in the firehose intensity of Little sorrow, but with the feeling expanded into the full complexity of Big heartbreak. All Ava could do was cry – and say No to anything she was asked. It was stupid, childish, and absolutely certain to destroy any chance she had of being Briana’s girlfriend, but she couldn’t make herself stop. Eventually, for lack of other options, Gary and Briana left Ava to cry on the drawing room floor. Briana turned out the lights on her way out – Ava was grateful for the discretion that dim light afforded, even if there was nobody but stuffies to see. This is insane. She’s never going to invite me back, even as a friend. I need to get up, get to my car, go home. The al-dente noodle consistency of Ava’s leg muscles reminded her that she wasn’t going anywhere without more rest. There was no escape from supreme awkwardness. “I could call Ollie,” Ava said to Brownie. “That’d be awkward too – he doesn’t get involved in ABDL stuff usually, but he’d come. He’s that good a friend.” Brownie didn’t seem sold on the idea. Ava wasn’t either. Being comforted by Oliver would be great – but only once she was back in her apartment. She didn’t want him seeing her a sobbing, diapered mess on a stranger’s floor. The door opened slowly, shocking Ava out of her tears. Silhouetted in the doorway was someone too female to be Gary, too big to be Briana. For a moment, Ava imagined it was Veronica – but when the woman stepped inside, she was too broad to fit the Edward Gorey figure of Briana’s mom. “Ava?” The woman’s voice was gentle without being hesitant. “It’s Rosa. May I help you?” It was a big ask to turn her pain and soiled diaper over to someone she’d briefly met once – even if Ava knew she was being a terrible guest. On the other hand, Rosa was not-Gary, which was worth gold in Ava’s current mental state. “I – yes please but – I don’t think there’s much you can do.” Ava sniffled. “I was going to start with a hug, if you’re in the mood for one.” Rosa took a seat on the floor, keeping her movements slow and non-threatening. This is ridiculous, I’ll just tell her to help me to my car and then I can try to drive home… Ava opened her mouth, surprising herself when she said, “Yes please, I need a hug.” Strong arms pulled Ava into Rosa’s lap, wrapped her up, and held her with warm strength. Ava cried again, ashamed and venting sadness. Rosa didn’t say anything right away, just patting Ava’s back until the Little girl’s sobs subsided. “I’m so sorry.” Ava whimpered. “This has to be so awkward – I made a big mess of everything. I think I can drive in a few minutes if you – if you can just get me to my car.” “As a concerned person, I’ll do that if that’s what you want.” Rosa’s voice was a warm whisper. “As a caregiver, I think you might need more taking care of than that.” “You don’t have to.” Ava shivered against Rosa, pressing against the woman’s athletic body despite her embarrassment. “I want to.” “I’m a mess.” Ava hadn’t expected Rosa to laugh at that. She flinched away from a hurt that didn’t come. Rosa’s laugh was too genuinely jolly to sting. “This is nothing compared to the tears I’ve wiped off my Niñe.” Rosa pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and scrubbed Ava’s cheeks dry. “It doesn’t even make the top ten of Melody’s meltdowns.” “I’m so embarrassed,” Ava said, though her throat nearly choked the words back. “I ruined my playdate with Briana, I’m sure Gary thinks I’m a lunatic…” Rosa wiped the snot from under Ava’s nose, giving said nose a tweak. “Hush now, drama baby. Nobody’s mad at you. We’re concerned, because we care about you.” “You don’t even know me!” “First off…” Rosa shifted Ava into a proper sitting position on her lap. “I care about lots of people I don’t know personally. Second, you’re important to Briana, and that’d be enough on its own.” “Briana’s never going to want to see me again.” “You can’t know her very well if that’s what you think.” Rosa rested her cheek atop Ava’s head. “How about a diaper change and a meal?” “You’d – offer to change me? Just like that?” “I live with Briana, and I’m Melody’s primary caregiver.” Rosa chuckled. “I’ve changed a lot of diapers. It’d be a nice mood boost, don’t you think?” Ava sniffled, looking down at her legs for a while before she nodded. “Yes please.” It took a grunt and an obvious effort, but Rosa lifted Ava into a princess carry and set her on the changing table. The Little girl flinched when Rosa put her hands on her diaper tapes. Though it was nice, and respectful of Rosa to pull away as soon as Ava flinched, she wished she’d controlled her reaction. Now that she’d been promised a change, she was desperate to be out of her soggy diaper. “I don’t have to change you if you’d rather I didn’t.” “No – I want it I’m just… it’s hard with a new person.” “I understand.” Rosa rubbed Ava’s tummy soothingly. “How about we talk to keep your mind off the change?” “Talk about what?” “Whatever it was that made you so sad.” “That’s even worse!” Ava said plaintively. “Yeah?” Rosa gently tugged Ava’s diaper tapes open. “How come?” “It’s embarrassing. I melted down like… like…” “Like a kid?” Rosa chuckled as she rolled Ava’s diaper up and tossed it in the pail. “That’s not fair, it was more than that. There was – big stuff too.” “Oh? What happened?” Rosa asked, while gently wiping Ava down with a soothing wet wipe. “Briana and I were kissing – Gary was there but we forgot – it was really awkward. Briana – she went to him and I fell down – everything crashed.” Ava shuddered mightily, feeling the hurt anew even as her words released some of it. “That does sound rough. Briana was really excited about having someone new to date – it sounds like you’re less okay with sharing than she is.” Rosa put an arm under Ava’s knees and lifted the Indian girl’s rear. As her most intimate spots were fearlessly wiped, Ava threw herself back into the conversation. “I’m not bi, like Briana is. I don’t ever want to be – romantic with Gary. I don’t know him, except that I’m competing for Briana with him and then suddenly – he was babysitting.” “Oh sweetie.” Rosa leaned in for a hug on Ava. “Quick aside – do you do lotion, powder, or both?” Ava’s lip quivered as she was brought out of her relationship awkwardness to face the equally uncomfortable topic of a stranger changing her diaper. I should just ask for my panties back. I don’t need another diaper… “Um – I could uh – b-both please.” “Of course.” Rosa kissed Ava’s forehead briefly and squirted some lotion on her palm. “The way I heard things from Briana – and I assume this is the version that Veronica heard too – you were okay with Gary babysitting. It’s not unusual for Briana to get over-eager, but it’s not okay for her to do that if it hurts somebody.” “I could have said something – I don’t know why I didn’t.” Ava clutched Brownie close to her chest. Everything had happened so fast, there hadn’t been time to snap out of Littlespace and think. “Probably because you were Little. You’re still there a bit.” Rosa’s hands were strong and soothing as she applied the lotion. As she patted baby powder into place on Ava’s skin, the Little girl realized she’d stopped feeling awkward about being changed. Eagerly, she lifted her hips for the fresh diaper Rosa offered. “I am, it’s hard to be Big around Briana. Plus we – we had such a good time.” “Would you like to have dinner with Briana? No Gary.” “Isn’t that mean? This isn’t Gary’s fault.” “Gary had a serious discussion with Briana and went home.” Rosa set the tapes on Ava’s diaper and wiggled it to ensure a perfect fit. “He’s rightfully upset with her. While I don’t want to let her off the hook for being thoughtless, you could both use a friend and some non-cookie calories right now.” “They weren’t cookies, they were crackers!” Ava protested as Rosa sat her up. “At least – the second round of snacks was.” “Uh huh.” Rosa grinned. “I can see why you two are so drawn to each other. Can I carry you to the kitchen?” “I don’t know, can you?” Ava stuck her tongue out at Rosa. “I’m not as tiny as Briana.” “Maybe not physically.” Rosa hefted Ava into her arms and made for the door. Ava closed her eyes, clinging to Rosa and hoping that nobody would be around – or if they were, that they wouldn’t say anything. Her hopes were answered when she was deposited on a kitchen chair next to Briana without another soul in sight. “Ava, I’m really sorry!” Briana’s cheeks were almost as tear-streaked as Ava’s. “I wasn’t thinking and I hurt two people that I love.” Ava sighed. “Thanks for the apology but – Briana – you throwing around the L word is the same kind of thing as what you just did.” “It is not!” Briana’s clenched jaw trembled, there were tears sparkling in her defiant eyes. “This isn’t a joke, or hyperbole – I love you, okay? It’s not like forever super intense love – yet – but I love easy and strong. Deal with it!” “Briana – you’re an idiot.” Ava threw herself tearfully into the Little girl’s arms. There was no kiss or sexy energy at all, but the undeniable warmth of Briana’s love was there. They laughed, sniffled, and sighed together to the sound of Rosa filling plates. With plates of piping hot arroz con pollo in front of them, things were looking up for both Little girls. Rosa took turns feeding them, which nicely shut down conversation and gave Ava space to simply be. Partway through dinner, Veronica returned. She took over feeding Briana, despite the Little girl’s protests that she could do it herself. Ava wasn’t sure why, but she felt perfectly content to let Rosa keep feeding her. Dinner and hugs restored her energy enough to be helped out to her car. She drove away with Briana waving with every ounce of her being. I can’t believe that crazy girl said she loves me. Pondering her own feelings for Briana got Ava home to her apartment and Mango, but no answers.

I think Ava would have liked some warning at the very least! 😆